A risky new push for immigration legislation [McCain-Kennedy reborn]

A risky new push for immigration legislation [McCain-Kennedy reborn]

www.latimes.com

Advocates of legalization have crafted a plan to lure a powerful ally - organized labor.

With their prospects in Congress sinking along with the economy, liberal advocates of giving illegal aliens a path to citizenship are launching a strategy to push lawmakers and the White House to take up their cause.

They devised a proposal in which millions of illegals would be legalized now, while the number allowed to enter the country would be examined by a new commission.

McCain-Kennedy II?

(visit the link for the full news article)


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Illegal immigrants, Mexico, immigration reform

[edit on 27-3-2009 by jdub297]

Advocates believe that winning support from the AFL-CIO will help get the issue back on track.

AFL-CIO's point is that the labor federation believes the Democrats' enhanced power in Washington represents a change in which liberal groups can forge ahead without working with Republicans.

President Obama reiterated his support for legalization last week during a stop in Southern California.

He told members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that he would deliver a public statement of support this spring.

Advocates are growing anxious that he might prefer to delay what would no doubt be a politically charged fight.

Immigration advocates have already raised concerns that the administration has not called off workplace raids that are splitting immigrant families.

To bolster their cause, advocates are planning an $18-million media and grass-roots campaign. (The funding is coming primarily from liberal foundations, including one founded by billionaire activist George Soros.)

Any new legalization plan is likely to look similar in some respects to thatl crafted by McCain and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), which stalled most recently in 2007.

Opponents decried the measure as "amnesty." It would have allowed illegal aliens to pay a fine and back taxes for permanent residency status.

The new proposal would create a commission that would assess labor and industry data to decide how many foreign workers should be allowed into the country.

Advocates will remind House members and senators that Latino voters, who supported Democrats in big numbers in the 2006 and 2008 elections and proved crucial to Obama's victories in Florida and the Southwest, are expecting the party to use its enhanced power to pass a legalization plan.

One Democrat who supports more immediate action is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who is facing a tough reelection battle next year in Nevada, where Latinos make up a growing share of voters.


www.latimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 27-3-2009 by Next_Heap_With]

NEXT-HEAP
Im sorry, but you dont have to legalize ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS to make thisnation great.
This nation is already great.
The only reason they are doing this is because the immigrants are already here, and that it would be impossible to kick em all out due to the amount of them. If they would just do as AZ did and tighten restrictions on companies who hire illegals, things wouldnt be so bad, and lots of them would be returning back home instead of sucking us dry.
But the politicians and the corporationsdont want that because they save so much money on hiring cheap labor,m plus it buys them elections.
If this happens, there are going to be a lot of pissed off people out there, including me.
Seems as if their rights and their voices come before our own citizens, its a damn shame.

[edit on 27-3-2009 by Common Good]

Originally posted by Common Good
If they would just ... tighten restrictions on companies who hire illegals, things wouldnt be so bad, and lots of them would be returning back home instead of sucking us dry.

Until it COSTS employers to hire illegal aliens, they will continue to hire them. There must be a disincentive; a big one! Like lose your tax credits, or pay an extra 25% tax on payroll.

Deny ignorance.

jw

The government NEEDS the new tax money to pay the Bankers for their own bailout.

This is a logical move to secure more tax payers and future generations.


Don't kid yourself, it's all about the money.

[edit on 27-3-2009 by bismarcksea]

Originally posted by bismarcksea
The government NEEDS the new tax money to pay the Bankers for their own bailout.
This is a logical move to secure more tax payers and future generations.

So why not make employers pay for it?

I'd start at the border states and work north from there. It wouldn't be difficult and you would just need to "hit" the largest cities in each to make the point. Then, random sweeps, not against aliens, but employers, will keep things reasonably clean.

There'll always be a "black market" and under-the-table/off-the-books transactions, but that's something we've lived with for 200+ years.

jw