Author: SCwpadmin

Earlier today, the President announced that Senate leaders from both parties had come to a compromise on a bill that would be a MAJOR overhaul to the immigration system. Details are still emerging, but among the highlights are:

– Enhanced border security, which must be completed before any guest worker or legalization plan is implemented
– Immediate status for undocumented people here, after payment of a large fine
– Restructuring and reduction of many family based categories
– Additional workplace verification and enforcement
– A merits-based “points” system that would allow immigration based on certain factors

THIS IS NOT A LAW, but is merely a proposal. As you will recall, last year the Senate put together a compromise bill that ultimately died when no compromise could be reached with the House of Representatives. We will see what happens with this one and how it evolves, as debate in the Senate is slated to begin next week. Please see this website for updates concerning legislative progress.

Some of these provisions are very onerous and, in our opinion, unworkable. There is still an opportunity to shape this law. Please contact your congressional representatives in the Senate and the House of Representatives to urge them to pass practical, humane immigration reform that will serve America’s needs. Click on the link below for instructions on contacting your Senators and Representative.
http://capwiz.com/aila2/callalert/index.tt?alertid=9764951

U.S. Representative Jeff Flake had a meeting with business leaders on Wednesday and indicated his opinion that there is a greater than 50-50 chance that the bill he has introduced in the House of Representatives will pass and become law. Representative Flake is one of the sponsors of the STRIVE bill that has been introduced in the House which is similar to the comprehensive immigration bill that passed the Senate last term.

Let’s hope that Representative Flake is correct. We urge interested individuals to send e-mails to their Congresspeople and Senators urging them to support comprehensive immigration reform.

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law met on March 30, 2007 at historic Ellis Island for a hearing on the Past, Present, and Future: A Historic and Personal Reflection on American Immigration.

Michael Chertoff, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, stated, “Our efforts to ensure vigorous enforcement of our laws in the interior, and especially at the worksite, are crucial to controlling the problem of illegal immigration. But they alone will not be sufficient. We must create a lawful mechanism so that in the future, foreign workers can come into the United States on a temporary basis to fill jobs that U.S. workers do not want. This regulated channel for temporary workers would dramatically reduce the pressure on our borders, aid our economy and ease the task of our law enforcement agents inside the country.”

Dowell Myers, Professor of Urban Planning and Demography and Director of the Population Dynamics Research Group University of Southern California, addressed the aging Baby Boomer crisis, “Immigrants do not arrive in a vacuum, and they may well provide at least part of the solution to a grave crisis that is about to overtake us. The rapid aging of our population creates stresses that are unprecedented, and the overall effect has enormous social, political, and economic implications for our future.”