Senate Bill S.2611 U.S. Immigration Policy, Increasing Border Security, Guest Worker Bill
John W. Slagle
May 26, 2006
From May 24 to May 25, C-SPAN presented live coverage of the Senate debate, amendments and changes to U.S. Immigration policy and increasing Border Security.
Watching the debate, it was very apparent that Special Interest Corporate Groups controlled 23 out of 55 Republicans in the U.S. Senate and most issues were similar to the Simpson Mazzoli concerns, IRCA Amnesty in 1986. Senator Jeff Sessions, Alabama as well as Senator David Vitter, Louisiana brought up points of order regarding Rule of law, devastating financial impact and a violation of budget rules which would result in the biggest increase in spending in 30 years. Per the Congressional Budget Office, greater than 5 billion dollars with no end in sight. Democratic Senator Ben Nelson Nebraska also stressed Securing the Borders first before passing a guest worker bill. A motion was taken and the majority of Senators voted to waive the Budget concerns and future costs to taxpayers. Social Security benefits to Illegal Aliens using stolen Social Security numbers,false names was briefly addressed and seemed to be of little concern.
The U.S. Senate 109 Congress, 2nd Session by a vote of 62 to 36 passed bill S.2611 for another Guest worker program with citizenship provisions, social security benefits and similar to IRCA 1986, the Government, and law enforcement cannot pursue Fraud charges against those denied admission. ?Hands off ?criminal prosecutions. Amnesty pure and simple, et all.
A new program for 1.5 million temporary agricultural workers also passed the Senate similar to the 2.7 Special Agricultural Workers, SAWs legalized in 1986. There was no mention of an over burdened Immigration Admissions bureau within the DHS with insufficient personnel to accomplish the present workload.
To secure the borders, the measure calls for the hiring of an additional 1,000 new Border Patrol agents this year and 14,000 by 2011. It takes 6 months to train a U.S. Border Patrol Agent with the maximum Academy turnout per year perhaps 400 or less, due to attrition, duty assignments and job demands which are stressful and dangerous.
The Senate supports President Bush's plan for a short-term deployment of National Guard troops to states along the Mexican Border although the Guard will not be armed and in a support capacity similar to the role JTF-6 has accomplished for 20 years.
S.2611 calls for new surveillance equipment as well as the construction of 370 miles of triple-layered fencing and 500 miles of vehicle barriers.
The new guest worker program would admit 200,000 individuals a year. Once here, they would be permitted for the first time to petition on their own for a green card that confers legal permanent residency, a provision designed to reduce the potential for exploitation by employers. What law enforcement Agency will enforce labor sanctions?
A separate new program, a compromise between growers and unions will grant admission of an estimated 1.5 million immigrant farm workers who may also apply for permanent residence similar to the 1986 Special Agricultural Worker Amnesty.
Twenty years ago 2.7 Million Agricultural Workers quickly disappeared and were replaced by a cheaper class of labor and exploited. Politics banned U.S. Border Patrol Agricultural Farm and Ranch Checks without a search warrant as well as industry checks.
Those in the country unlawfully for five years or more would be permitted to remain, continue working and eventually apply for citizenship. They would be required to pay at least $3,250 in fines and fees, settle any back taxes and learn English. Does this mean the Internal Revenue Service can actually investigate Tax Identification numbers issued for undocumented aliens with assumed names which is a felony under tax laws? Will taxpayers fund English courses or provide language instructors for Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, and Russian for any world dialect?
Illegal immigrants in the country for more than two years but less than five would be required to travel to a point of entry before re-entering the United States legally and beginning a lengthy process of seeking citizenship. They would be subject to the same fines, fees and other requirements as the longer-term immigrants. An immigrant in the country illegally for less than two years would be required to leave with no guarantee of return. Under Senate Bill S.2611, who will ensure that fraudulent documents are not used for admissions standards? A person can be in the country for a day with a complete set of false documents stating that he or she has been working for 5 years, 6 months, complete with rent receipts, bogus labor certifications, etc. Criminal Elements of Society, Human Traffickers have been in the business of supplying needed identities for people since the age of the printed word and counterfeiting official signatures on paper sealed with wax impressions. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE may have a tough task ahead, but denied admissions or fraudulent acts was voted to be ?no concern of the Government?
Under S. 2611. Hopefully ICE with several hundred Special Agents will be allowed to continue investigations on Terrorist Cells in the United States as long as the predication of an investigation does not involve an alien illegally in this nation as a ?willing worker?.
Employer Sanctions, Interior Immigration Law Enforcement in 2006 also seemed to be forgotten. Open Pandora?s Box by another Amnesty for all in the United States illegally and millions more will continue to enter on that political promise, friend and foe, the good and the bad. Who will be responsible for this nation that establishes new bills, laws with little intention of actual immigration law enforcement?
Free Trade, NSA wiretaps on citizens, Airport Security travel mandates for travelers, and yet porous borders, seaports have not been a priority from September 11, 2001. Illegal Immigration from any country by the thousands or millions yearly has never been a security issue with globalization corporate ideals of the ?Skull and Bones? elites, Republican and Democrats despite a war on ?Terrorists?. The majority opinion of citizens, legal immigrants regarding illegal immigration issues in the United States has been ignored by the Senate and Congress for years. Election years are perhaps the only time voices are actually heard in Washington D.C. on any issues, War, education, national problems, immigration to the economy.
On August 19, 1999 Capital Hill Blue, a political news organization performed an in-depth study of the U.S. elected officials who formulate decisions for the nation in Washington DC.
As of 1999 when the study was done, Capital Hill Blue opened with their conclusion by stating ?The 535 men and women who make up the House and Senate of the United States include, at best, a collection of rogues, con artists, scofflaws and bad check artists. At worst, they comprise, as Mark Twain once observed, a distinct criminal class.?
Capital Hill documented the following?
Members who avoided driver?s violations via Congressional immunity 217 (40.5%)
Members who filed bankruptcy on TWO or more businesses 117 (21.8%)
Members picked up for DUI, but let go via Congressional immunity 84 (15.7%)
Members with bad credit, unable to get a credit card 71 (13.3%)
Members who can?t pass DOD or DOE security clearance 53 (10%)
Members accused of spousal abuse 29 (5.4%)
Members with DUI records (despite congressional immunity) 27 (5%)
Members sued by personal creditors 21 (3.9%)
Members who write bad checks (3.5% even after closing the House Bank) 19
Members with drug related arrests 14 (2.6%)
Eight were arrested for shoplifting, seven for fraud, four for theft, three for assault and one for criminal trespass.
Add to the list, Members since 1999 who were sentenced to Prison, 8 years or more for bribery, tax evasion, extortion, corruption, scandals, Special Interest Payoffs and you have the best Government, Money can Buy. A one term limit on all elected officials might solve the problem. Honest politicians with true integrity that listen to constituents may be an oxymoron but there are still many Republicans as well as Democrats that never compromise their oath of office or their Nation. These people are true leaders worthy of respect and support daily, far beyond election nonsense and ?pandering? for votes.
Watching the debate, it was very apparent that Special Interest Corporate Groups controlled 23 out of 55 Republicans in the U.S. Senate and most issues were similar to the Simpson Mazzoli concerns, IRCA Amnesty in 1986. Senator Jeff Sessions, Alabama as well as Senator David Vitter, Louisiana brought up points of order regarding Rule of law, devastating financial impact and a violation of budget rules which would result in the biggest increase in spending in 30 years. Per the Congressional Budget Office, greater than 5 billion dollars with no end in sight. Democratic Senator Ben Nelson Nebraska also stressed Securing the Borders first before passing a guest worker bill. A motion was taken and the majority of Senators voted to waive the Budget concerns and future costs to taxpayers. Social Security benefits to Illegal Aliens using stolen Social Security numbers,false names was briefly addressed and seemed to be of little concern.
The U.S. Senate 109 Congress, 2nd Session by a vote of 62 to 36 passed bill S.2611 for another Guest worker program with citizenship provisions, social security benefits and similar to IRCA 1986, the Government, and law enforcement cannot pursue Fraud charges against those denied admission. ?Hands off ?criminal prosecutions. Amnesty pure and simple, et all.
A new program for 1.5 million temporary agricultural workers also passed the Senate similar to the 2.7 Special Agricultural Workers, SAWs legalized in 1986. There was no mention of an over burdened Immigration Admissions bureau within the DHS with insufficient personnel to accomplish the present workload.
To secure the borders, the measure calls for the hiring of an additional 1,000 new Border Patrol agents this year and 14,000 by 2011. It takes 6 months to train a U.S. Border Patrol Agent with the maximum Academy turnout per year perhaps 400 or less, due to attrition, duty assignments and job demands which are stressful and dangerous.
The Senate supports President Bush's plan for a short-term deployment of National Guard troops to states along the Mexican Border although the Guard will not be armed and in a support capacity similar to the role JTF-6 has accomplished for 20 years.
S.2611 calls for new surveillance equipment as well as the construction of 370 miles of triple-layered fencing and 500 miles of vehicle barriers.
The new guest worker program would admit 200,000 individuals a year. Once here, they would be permitted for the first time to petition on their own for a green card that confers legal permanent residency, a provision designed to reduce the potential for exploitation by employers. What law enforcement Agency will enforce labor sanctions?
A separate new program, a compromise between growers and unions will grant admission of an estimated 1.5 million immigrant farm workers who may also apply for permanent residence similar to the 1986 Special Agricultural Worker Amnesty.
Twenty years ago 2.7 Million Agricultural Workers quickly disappeared and were replaced by a cheaper class of labor and exploited. Politics banned U.S. Border Patrol Agricultural Farm and Ranch Checks without a search warrant as well as industry checks.
Those in the country unlawfully for five years or more would be permitted to remain, continue working and eventually apply for citizenship. They would be required to pay at least $3,250 in fines and fees, settle any back taxes and learn English. Does this mean the Internal Revenue Service can actually investigate Tax Identification numbers issued for undocumented aliens with assumed names which is a felony under tax laws? Will taxpayers fund English courses or provide language instructors for Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, and Russian for any world dialect?
Illegal immigrants in the country for more than two years but less than five would be required to travel to a point of entry before re-entering the United States legally and beginning a lengthy process of seeking citizenship. They would be subject to the same fines, fees and other requirements as the longer-term immigrants. An immigrant in the country illegally for less than two years would be required to leave with no guarantee of return. Under Senate Bill S.2611, who will ensure that fraudulent documents are not used for admissions standards? A person can be in the country for a day with a complete set of false documents stating that he or she has been working for 5 years, 6 months, complete with rent receipts, bogus labor certifications, etc. Criminal Elements of Society, Human Traffickers have been in the business of supplying needed identities for people since the age of the printed word and counterfeiting official signatures on paper sealed with wax impressions. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE may have a tough task ahead, but denied admissions or fraudulent acts was voted to be ?no concern of the Government?
Under S. 2611. Hopefully ICE with several hundred Special Agents will be allowed to continue investigations on Terrorist Cells in the United States as long as the predication of an investigation does not involve an alien illegally in this nation as a ?willing worker?.
Employer Sanctions, Interior Immigration Law Enforcement in 2006 also seemed to be forgotten. Open Pandora?s Box by another Amnesty for all in the United States illegally and millions more will continue to enter on that political promise, friend and foe, the good and the bad. Who will be responsible for this nation that establishes new bills, laws with little intention of actual immigration law enforcement?
Free Trade, NSA wiretaps on citizens, Airport Security travel mandates for travelers, and yet porous borders, seaports have not been a priority from September 11, 2001. Illegal Immigration from any country by the thousands or millions yearly has never been a security issue with globalization corporate ideals of the ?Skull and Bones? elites, Republican and Democrats despite a war on ?Terrorists?. The majority opinion of citizens, legal immigrants regarding illegal immigration issues in the United States has been ignored by the Senate and Congress for years. Election years are perhaps the only time voices are actually heard in Washington D.C. on any issues, War, education, national problems, immigration to the economy.
On August 19, 1999 Capital Hill Blue, a political news organization performed an in-depth study of the U.S. elected officials who formulate decisions for the nation in Washington DC.
As of 1999 when the study was done, Capital Hill Blue opened with their conclusion by stating ?The 535 men and women who make up the House and Senate of the United States include, at best, a collection of rogues, con artists, scofflaws and bad check artists. At worst, they comprise, as Mark Twain once observed, a distinct criminal class.?
Capital Hill documented the following?
Members who avoided driver?s violations via Congressional immunity 217 (40.5%)
Members who filed bankruptcy on TWO or more businesses 117 (21.8%)
Members picked up for DUI, but let go via Congressional immunity 84 (15.7%)
Members with bad credit, unable to get a credit card 71 (13.3%)
Members who can?t pass DOD or DOE security clearance 53 (10%)
Members accused of spousal abuse 29 (5.4%)
Members with DUI records (despite congressional immunity) 27 (5%)
Members sued by personal creditors 21 (3.9%)
Members who write bad checks (3.5% even after closing the House Bank) 19
Members with drug related arrests 14 (2.6%)
Eight were arrested for shoplifting, seven for fraud, four for theft, three for assault and one for criminal trespass.
Add to the list, Members since 1999 who were sentenced to Prison, 8 years or more for bribery, tax evasion, extortion, corruption, scandals, Special Interest Payoffs and you have the best Government, Money can Buy. A one term limit on all elected officials might solve the problem. Honest politicians with true integrity that listen to constituents may be an oxymoron but there are still many Republicans as well as Democrats that never compromise their oath of office or their Nation. These people are true leaders worthy of respect and support daily, far beyond election nonsense and ?pandering? for votes.
Print
Email
