May 30, 2007

The amnesty plan that will destroy America

The Bush-Kennedy-McCain Comprehensive immigration reform bill (S1348) is nothing short of amnesty. If passed and signed into the law, this plan will lay the ground work for our own destruction. While the term “comprehensive immigration reform” sounds good, the devil in the details. It’s not what they say; it is the outcome that matters most.

"Every person who has ever risked their life securing our borders is extremely disheartened to see some of our elected representatives once again waving the white flag on the issues of illegal immigration and border security. Rewarding criminal behavior has never induced anyone to abide by the law, and there is no reason to believe that the outcome will be any different in this case." T.J. Bonner, National Border Patrol Council President

The Senate bill in its current form combines several amnesties into one large bill. The most sweeping amnesty is the Z Visa which will apply to the 12-20 million estimated illegal aliens who have been residing in the US prior to January 1, 2007. The bill would initially grant a parole status to those who apply within two years which then can be converted to the Z visa. The visa would be renewable for an indefinite number of four year extensions. An applicant would be required to pay $1000, pass a background investigation (three misdemeanor convictions are allowed) and learn English & civics. The number of Z visas that can be granted are unlimited.  

The second provision is the Y visa which is the guest worker program. It currently calls for a quota of 200,000 temporary workers. The visa is good for two years. At the end of the two year period, the worker would be required to return home for one year. It is renewable two more times for a total of six years.

The third provision is the H2A visa or AGJobs 2007. It applies to illegal alien agricultural workers who can obtain permanent resident status for qualifying as workers. The initial quota is 1,500,000. Currently, only 24-26% of all agricultural workers are foreign born. This would mean that three out of four workers are Americans.  

The last amnesty, The Dream Act of 2007 applies to illegal alien children who are under 21 years of age. It would grant legal status and would allow these aliens to receive federal student aid. 

After waiting for 8 years, any of these illegal aliens who are now legal residents can apply for citizenship. They will be required to pay an additional $4000 fine and return to their country of origin to file their green card application. This applies only to the head of the household not to their spouse or children. They must then demonstrate merit under a new point system to gain citizenship. The point system will rely on education, skills and English proficiency. While family based immigration will be eliminated under the bill, the quota in this category will increase to 440,000 per year until the current backlog of six million pending applications are cleared.  

The bill actually authorizes $500 grants to those illegal aliens who are given amnesty to learn English. If that were not enough, the Legal Service Bureau will actually be required to represent illegal aliens who work in the agricultural sector regarding their immigration status. All will be eligible for federal school aid and federal work study programs. Those who were ordered deported can apply for a Z visa if they can show they or their spouse, parent or child will suffer “extreme hardship” if deported. Even members of criminal gangs will be eligible for the Z visa as long as they renounce their gang membership.

The question of fraud hangs over this bill like a large volcanic cloud. A GAO study found that one out of three applicants used false documents when applying for the 1986 amnesty. The current bill allows for the use of sworn affidavits from non-family members to verify an illegal alien’s work history to qualify for a Z visa. As they have already broken the law to come here, why would any reasonable person believe that they will submit valid affidavits?

What will be the total number of illegal and legal aliens that will come into the US? The numbers are staggering. Assuming that the bill ends chain migration (uncles, aunts, etc.) and only allows for the immediate family of all categories noted above, upward of 48-80 million will come to the US under the Z visa program, 1.6-2.4 million per year under the temporary worker program, 6 million under the AGJobs provision and possibly a few hundred thousand under the Dream Act. This estimate excluding other immigration quotas is based on the contradictory and ambiguous language of the bill.  How can any country possibly absorb this number of immigrants whether illegal or legal?  

Another issue of concern is how the bill was drafted and by whom. The advocacy group “La Raza” (“the race” translated) helped write the bill. La Raza supports open borders and amnesty for any and all illegal aliens. Their involvement with drafting the bill is clearly a conflict of interest as they stand to gain financially with the passage of the bill in its current form. The bill mandates that “nonprofit organizations with experience working with immigrant communities” receive monetary grants to carry out the provisions of the act relating to integration such as learning English and civics.

While the bill has triggers relating to border security, the probationary status will be granted immediately with only 24 hours authorized for the completion of back ground checks. With this unreasonable time frame, tens of thousands of criminal aliens will be granted amnesty. The Z visas will be issued once several triggers have been met as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

New border security measures include the hiring of 18,000 new border agents, 370 miles of border fence along with other technological devices and a work eligibility verification system. The trigger provision is a farce. There is no requirement to obtain operation control of the border. Even though congress passes legislation, there is no guarantee that they will appropriate funds to facilitate the law. An example is the 700 mile border fence which was authorized last year by congress but never funded.

The President has no credibility with the American people. How can America fight a war on terror while failing to defend our own borders? The lack of border security, unchecked illegal immigration and document fraud were the ingredients that helped spawn the 911 attacks. The arrest of several illegal aliens who conspired to attack Fort Dix in New Jersey validates why our current immigration laws must be enforced.    

While the President had over six years to gain control of the border, he only recently acted after the American demanded action. By placing the National Guard on the border to assist the Border Patrol and hiring additional agents, the American people were led to believe that the border was finally secured. In light of the number of Border Agents specified in the bill, it’s apparent that there are still insufficient resources at the border. Furthermore, the US-VISIT system (which tracks when aliens enter and exit the US) still does not document when visa overstays or other illegal aliens leave the country as required by legislation passed in 1996.

Immigration in of itself has proven its value when it is legal and controlled. It has been our source of strength and innovation. Granting amnesty to tens of millions of poor, uneducated and unskilled illegal aliens will sow the seeds of our destruction as a sovereign nation. The fault lines will encompass language, education, class, assimilation and identity politics. A nation that is divided cannot stand.    

The American people understand what this bill is about. It’s the audacity of arrogance. The President and the Senate believe that they alone possess the understanding required to solve a “complex problem” yet there is no complexity in understanding the linchpin of our Republic, the rule of law.

The effort to by those in office who deceive in consideration of power and privilege define cowardice. Enforcement first, our survival as a nation requires it.