Immigration Reform Now
A project of the
Republican National Hispanic Assembly (RNHA)
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Immigration Reform Now
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Listen to our Radio Ads English / Español. Changes in Immigration Reform Deal Some recent polls show additional , at times a confusing light on the American public's attitude on immigration. We recently go an update from the office of the Senate Republican Leader, Senator Mitch McConnell on immigration. Tuesday’s Update on Immigration
posted 8:38 PM- 5.15.2007 Bi-Partisan Deal Near Republican and Democrats are closer to reaching a deal on immigration reform. The new bill would completely overhaul the immigration laws, providing illegal immigrants a path to legalization while strictly limiting future immigrants from staying within the US. Republicans are upbeat about the progress. "Eighty-twenty!" said an upbeat Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., According to AP: "The proposed agreement would allow illegal immigrants to come forward and obtain a probationary "Z visa" and - after paying fees and fines of up to $5,000 and returning to their home countries - ultimately try for permanent residency, which could take between eight and 13 years. The process couldn't begin until border security improvements and a high-tech worker identification program were completed." posted 10:18 PM- 5.15.2007 New Polls On Political Attitudes Some recent polls show additional , at times a confusing light on the American public's attitude on immigration. Immigration Issues Nag at GOP Candidatesposted 1:38 PM- 4.24.2007 GOP Presidential Candidates View on Immigration With the 2008 Presidential campaign in full swing many voters are closely examining the positions of GOP Presidential candidates on a number of policy issues. A recent AP article breaks down the immigration position of a handful of Republican White House hopefuls, from Giuliani to Tancredo. posted 1:07 PM- 4.24.2007 Republicans Seek Compromise The AP reports that Republican leaders are stepping down some of their strict reforms and seeking a middle ground. "The White House and some GOP allies now say they are willing to lower the steep fines and shorten the waits the nation's roughly 12 million illegal immigrants would face if they sought legal status, said sources close to the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to outline the negotiations." posted 9:13 PM- 4.23.2007 Hispanic Lawmakers Join Forces For the first time in 14 years Hispanic lawmakers from both sides of the aisle joined forces to take a united stand on immigration reform. Republicans left the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in the 1990's over ideological difference. The Republican lawmakers created the Congressional Hispanic Conference in 2003 for lawmakers of Hispanic and Portuguese decent. Today both the caucus and conference met with the President and White House officials, and put aside political differences. "We believe it's important that we all work together if we really have the interest of 12 million and some immigrants in mind," said Luis Fortuno (R-PR), Chairman of the Republican Hispanic Conference. posted 7:13 PM- 4.20.2007 President Talks Immigration in Arizona President Bush visited Yuma, Arizona today to talk about the need for immigration reform. He is trying to re-energize the debate and hopefully pass comprehensive language this year. During this trip the president focused on border security and advances made on national security, a move meant to reach out to conservatives. Though the Congress is now controlled by Democrats, the President needs 25 GOP votes in the Senate and 70 GOP votes in the House to make comprehensive immigration reform legislation a reality.
Talking points in English/ Spanish Republicans Tackles Immigration Republican Senators and White House officials have been working for several weeks to create a new proposal on how to deal with the broken immigration system. According to The Politico GOP Senators - Arlen Specter (Pa.), John Cornyn (Texas), Jon Kyl (Ariz.) and Mel Martinez (Fla.) - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez have been secretly meeting to create a workable solution to immigration. Many in Washington D.C. believe there is an
unofficial deadline of August for Congress to pass immigration reform. Immigrant Advocates Look to Churches Many religious leaders who are seeking reform on immigration laws and working with Members of Congress on the issue. In an article in USA Today, it chronicle how many religious leaders are trying to influence the debate. "Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National
Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said the nation's largest Hispanic
evangelical organization will be trying to change the minds of 40 House
Republicans 'who traditionally depend on the evangelical vote.'" Congress Unveils Bipartisan Immigration Bill
Read the proposal Immigrant Groups Gear Up Lobbying Efforts The Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, a network of advocates for immigrants, have strengthen their lobbying efforts in Washington D.C. in hopes to secure passage of comprehensive immigration reform legislation according to an article in The Politico.
Read
the full article
President Releases New Guidelines for Immigration Reform
"The President calls on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that will secure our borders, enhance interior and worksite enforcement, create a temporary worker program, resolve – without animosity and without amnesty – the status of illegal immigrants already here, and promote assimilation into our society. All elements of this problem must be addressed together – or none of them will be solved", states the document.
Read
the five points for immigration reform
Congresswoman Proposes Bill to Block Credit Cards for Illegals
The Photo Identification Security Act would require banks to use what Blackburn calls "secure forms of identification" to obtain credit.
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the full article
Bill Gates Warns of Immigration Curb In an article in the Financial Times Bill Gates weights in on his concern on current talks of immigration reform. "Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft, on Wednesday warned that restrictions on the number of skilled workers allowed to enter the US put the country’s competitiveness at risk. The comments marked the latest attack on restrictive US immigration policies by the technology industry, which is facing a shortage of skilled workers even as demand for their skills is increasing."
Read
the full article
Domestic Issues, Immigration Tops Bush's Agenda
The President called for prompt bi-partisan
congressional action on an immigration bill. Early in his presidency Bush
proposed a plan which included increased security and a guest worker program to
take pressure off the border. President Signs Fence Bill
Republicans Distance Themselves from "Operation Wetback"
Republicans
are distancing themselves from fellow Republican, Arizona State Rep. Russell
Pearce. The state law maker is in hot water after calling for the reactivation
of "Operation Wetback", a 1950's era mass deportation of illegal immigrants.
Hispanic leaders were furious over the use of the term ''wetback'' and criticized the lawmaker for using a racial slur on air. Some Republicans flatly
rejected Pearce's call for a large-scale deportation plan, while others defended
Pearce's intentions and criticized his tact. Senate Passes Border Bill
Immigration Gets Local With only 41 days left before elections, Democrat and Republican candidates are "embracing the complicated and emotionally powerful issue of immigration reform." While Republicans continue to be completely divided on the best approach on how to secure the border and deal with the 12 million illegal immigrants, Democrats have been almost inactive on the issue. Recently some Democrats are taking a sticker stands, especially in districts where illegal immigration hits close to home. As Congress is set to
adjourn before Columbus day without passing an immigration bill, the debate
continues with much finger pointing and no solution. Candidates on both sides of
the political spectrum for a while were scared of alienating Hispanic voters,
yet recently many races have featured attack ads painting a non-favorable
picture of Hispanics and undocumented immigrants and blurring "the lines, and
sometimes the truth, between candidates and parties."
Fate of Border Security Measures Decided This Week
"Additionally, other legislators say they don’t want an appropriations bill for homeland security to be delayed by disagreements that may develop over the border security bills if they are part of the bill."
Read the
full story
Bush To Sign Mexican Fence Bill
The bill is one
of several "enforcement first" pieces of legislation the House of
Representatives passed by a wide margin to combat illegal immigration. Other
bills include legislation that would speed the deportation of illegal aliens,
outlaw tunneling under the border and close loopholes that allow criminal aliens
to be released into the U.S. House Readies for New Round of
Enforcement Bills With only days left before Congress adjourns for the November elections, House Republicans are getting ready for a new round of measures aimed at securing the border. Rep. King of New York, Chairman of the Committee on Homeland security has authored a bill that would provide for over 700 miles of two-layered fencing along the southwest Mexican border of the U.S. For more: H.R. 6061, the Secure Fence Act of 2006 posted 11:50 AM - 9.14.2006 House Majority Leader Announces Agenda
"“From homeland security to national security to border security, House Republicans will focus first and foremost on addressing the safety and security needs of the American people throughout the month of September,' stated Boehner. Among the legislative priorities, some include :
Further details will be announced in the near future. Congress, who will return from the summer recess next week, will only have 32 days in the Congressional session before it adjourns for the November elections.
Read the
full statement
Largest Growth in Illegal Immigrants from India
The department's report sited that nearly 6 million of
immigrants came from Mexico, followed by El Salvador, Guatemala, India and China
with a combined total of about 1.4 million. New York Sun Criticizes Sen. Schumer's Tactics
"It's a shame when the senator from New York, a city of immigrants, has to be taught such a lesson by a politician from the Lone Star State. President Bush has taken the high road in resisting the sirens of the anti-immigrant wing of the Republican Party. We can understand Mr. Schumer wanting to leave no political issue unexploited in his effort to retake the Senate for the Democrats. But in pulling the ad, Mr. Schumer is saying beating up on immigrants is a step too far. "
Read New York Sun Editorial
Democrats Pull Ad An Associated Press story printed in the Washington Post
announced "Democrats dropped an ad that Hispanics had criticized as unfairly
depicting illegal immigrants as terrorists. Congressional Hearings Continue Through August
Attended a hearing in your city. Check out the full list of Congressional Hearings. JULY-AUGUST IMMIGRATION HEARINGS & EVENTS posted 3:40 PM - 8.16.2006 Hispanics Blast Democrats for Ad
Democrats have also voiced their disapproval of the ad.
Houston City Councilwoman Carol Alvarado, a Democrat, sent a letter to
Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee
(DSCC) Chairman Sen. Charles Schumer of New York asking that the ad on the be
pulled. The councilwoman stated the could alienate Latino voters.
Read Councilwoman Alvardo's statement
Democrats Compare Illegal Immigrants to Terrorist
Among the images of the 32 second post was a masked man with a bazooka, scenes from a terrorist attack, images of Osama Bin Laden, North Korea’s President Kim Jong II and Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Included in the video was an image of two men jumping over a border fence with the words “million more illegal immigrants.” In a statement RNHA Chairman Pedro Celis said “Hispanic illegal immigrants have broken the law, but they are not terrorists. Equating these undocumented migrants to the very real threats of terrorism is inexcusable and only serves to fan the flames of anti-immigrant sentiment in our country.”
Read the full statement
Bush Calls On Congress To Act Now Yesterday President Bush was on the Texas-Mexican border and spoke firmly about immigration. He called on Congress to swiftly act on passing legislation to reform current immigration laws and fulfill their duty to the American people. "There's an important debate facing our nation, and the debate is, can we secure this border and, at the same time, honor our history of being a land of immigrants? And the answer is, absolutely, we can do both. And we will do both," said President Bush. Read the White House Fact Sheet
Operation Jump Start: Acting Now to Secure the Border posted 9:15 AM - 8.4.2006 Congressional Field Hearings Congress continues to schedule Congressional Hearings on Immigration Reform Legislation. The GOP has put out a list on its gop.gov web page: http://www.gop.gov/docs/july27_augustfieldhearings.pdf Also check our out our "Bills" section for additional News. posted 2:04 PM - 8.1.2006 Hutchinson-Pence: A No Amnesty Immigration Reform Plan
The new legislation creates a guest worker program, a new visa program and offers no amnesty. All current undocumented workers would have to self deport to be eligible for the program. Recently the authors of the plan penned an editorial explaining the program:
Read On... New Plan Breathes Life into Immigration Debate
The plan "would pressure illegal immigrants to "self-deport" to their home countries within two years of the law's enactment and apply for a new kind of visa that would allow them to return to the United States quickly and work legally if a job awaits them. They would have to work here for 17 years, however, to be eligible for U.S. citizenship." states an article in the Washington Post.
Read On... Hastert: Border Is Our Priority
The Speaker is currently on a tour of the U.S.- Mexican border with five other House lawmakers. He stated he is determined to get the bill he wants, which has but him at odds with those seeking a more comprehensive reform, including President George W. Bush. One out of every five voters in Speaker Dennis Hastert's Illinois district is Hispanic. He stated his position on immigration has caused "a mixed attitude" from his constituents. (photo from USA Today)
Read On... The Problem With Walls
"Our
immigration laws have not kept up with our fast-paced, growing economy. It's as
though we had a speed limit of 25 MPH on modern highways, reflecting the
capabilities of Model-T Fords rather than Cadillacs. Keeping laws up-to-date
with our changing economy is vital to preserving respect for our statutes,"
writes Ms. Furchtgott-Roth. Hispanics Feel Discriminated Yet Politically Energized
More then 50 percent of the Latinos surveyed felt in increase of discrimination. About two-thirds of the 2,000 Hispanic adults that participated in the poll stated the marches signaled the beginning of a new and lasting social movement for the Hispanic community. Though the survey showed that to some extent some Latinos are blaming the Republican party accountable for the consequences of the immigration debate, few have switched Party affiliation.
Read On... House Announces Further Immigration Hearings Today at 11 AM House Majority
Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and fellow GOP House leaders announced additional
immigration hearings. The Judiciary committee and Homeland Security committees will begin hearings next week focusing on the impact of a border fence. Judiciary will address the implications of certain "amnesty" proposals. The Education and Workforce committee will consider “the expedited removal of illegal aliens” from this country as well as whether to make English the country’s official language.
Read On... Immigration Becomes Personal
The Miami hearing, scheduled by the U.S. Senate, is one of several congressional field hearings held across the country to continue to examine immigration reform. posted 4:34 PM - 7.11.2006 Understanding Sensenbrenner
His friends commonly describe him as “prickly,” “cantankerous” and “unpleasant.” He brushes it off explaining, “You have to be prickly to prod people into accomplishing something." Learn more about Rep. Sensenbrenner and his commitment to his version of immigration reform... read on posted 12:13 PM - 7.11.2006 Conservatives Tackle Immigration The immigration issue has divided many in the Republican party, forcing them to choose between the title of "pro" or "anti" immigration. In an article published in the Wall Street Journal, a group of leading Conservatives tackle the issue of immigration and ask "What side of history do conservatives want to be on?" The group - comprised of
Jack Kemp , former congressman from New York;
Jeanne Kirkpatrick, former ambassador to the U.N.; Tamar Jacoby, senior fellow
at the
Manhattan Institute; Grover Norquist, president of the Americans for Tax Reform and many others
- offer a ``combination package" of legislation, which includes the tough enforcement measures as well as avenues for
immigrants to work legally in the U.S. posted 3:40 PM - 7.10.2006 Border Battle Continues During Field Hearings
The first two hearings occurred on opposite sides of the nation, a hearing in San Diego, California focused on border security scheduled by the House of Representatives, and a second hearing was held in Pennsylvania, hosted by the Senate, analyzing what comprises true comprehensive reform. A New York Times editorial commented about the politics behind the hearings and immigration debate. posted 1:10 PM - 7.6.2006 President Talks Immigration at Dunkin' Donuts
The President said : "These people remind me that one of the great features of our country is that people are able to come here and realize dreams. One of the problems we have because our economy is strong is that small business owners have trouble finding workers. People come here to work. " "And one of the things we've got to do is to make sure that they have a verification plan that will enable them to determine, as they hire new workers, whether or not the workers are here illegally. See, it's against the law to hire somebody who is here illegally. And we intend to enforce that law. Part of a comprehensive immigration plan is to give employers the tools necessary to determine whether or not the workers they're looking for are here legally in America. And we've got such a plan -- Basic Pilot, it's called. It's working." posted 5:12 PM - 7.5.2006 Compromise Caused by Immigration "Triggers"
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) said the triggers could help conferees working on a compromise. "Once they accept that we'll secure the borders first, I think there are a lot of things [in the Senate bill] that can be agreed to," said Sen. Isakson. The Georgia Senator sponsored an amendment in the Senate that would have made any immigration changes contingent on assurances that the borders are secure. posted 3:27 PM - 6.28.2006 House Gets Ready For National Field Hearings
Currently about a half-dozen of hearings are already set or in the planning stages. A tentative list being circulated includes: • On Thursday, a House Homeland Security subcommittee will hold a hearing on the use of operational intelligence in border security. • On July 5 and 7, a House International Relations subcommittee is tentatively scheduled to hold field hearings in San Diego, California and Laredo, Texas, on “Border Vulnerabilities and International Terrorism.” • In mid-July, the House Education and the Workforce Committee tentatively plans to hold two hearings in Washington D.C., one on guest-worker programs and one on English as the official language. • During the week of Aug. 14, the House Government Reform Committee is tentatively scheduled to hold a hearing in Arizona focusing on the costs of illegal immigration to the local, state and federal governments. Many political analysts believe scattering the field hearings around the country will help the nation better understand immigration reform, and hopefully turn down the emotional level of the debate. posted 11:32 AM - 6.27.2006 Boehner: We Want A Bill, There's No Ifs, Ands, Or Buts About It."
posted 9:39 PM - 6.22.2006 Frist Endorses House Hearings In a letter to Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Senator Dr. Bill Frist (R-TN) endorsed the House Hearings on Immigration Reform. In the letter the Senator states, “Hearings, done right, will do much to knit together a common understanding of the challenges we face, and the choices we must make, to write an immigration reform law of which the Congress and the country can rightly be proud.” posted 9:10 AM - 6.22.2006 House Leadership Puts Brakes on Immigration Bill
No time line has been set on when the hearings will start or end. Many leaders in both the House and Senate are skeptical a bill will be ready for the President's signature this year. The administration is committed to overhauling immigration this year. "The president is undeterred," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said after Hastert's announcement of hearings. "We are committed and we have been working very hard with members (of Congress) to see if we can reach consensus on an issue the American people have said they want action on." posted 1201 PM - 6.21.2006
Hispanic Vote Essential For Future GOP Victories "We can't survive as a party without getting more of the Hispanic vote," stated Matthew Dowd in a January 27, 2002 article in the Chicago Tribune. Reporter Charlie Cook agrees with Dowd and highlights the implications of the immigration debate and the possible impact on the Republican party for generations to come. "With one-quarter strongly supportive of the path to citizenship -- what critics call amnesty -- one-quarter strongly against, and half the country not particularly interested at all, one really wonders whether the anti-immigrant forces realize the damage they might be inflicting on their party in order to curry favor with just one-quarter of the electorate." - Cook posted 2:10 PM - 6.20.2006 Gutierrez Comments on Immigration
"I am delighted to be here to discuss the importance issue of immigration reform. This is an emotional and sensitive issue. But we need to find a middle ground that protects national security and makes immigration legal, safe, and humane." posted 12:20 PM - 6.2.2006 President Expects Business Community To Help Enforce Laws On Thursday President Bush discussed his plan for creating strong immigration reform legislation. He stated that the most important element of immigration reform is strong border security and interior enforcement - particularly worksite enforcement. The President expects the business community help make our nation safer. Read the Presidents position on creating a strong immigration reform legislation. posted 1:50 PM - 6.1.2006 Immigration: Next Step, Working With The House
The next big step will be when Congressional leaders meet to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The House passed a enforcement first bill various months ago, providing no guest worker program, as currently found in the Senate version and as proposed by President Bush. The House leadership, lead by Speaker Hastert and House Majority Leader Boehner have not yet announced their conferees. posted 7:08 AM - 5.26.2006 President Comments on Senate Passed Immigration Bill
The passage of the bill was a huge victory for the President who has been a leader on this issue since the beginning of his term as President. Read the President's statement. posted 9:08 AM - 5.26.2006 House Majority Leader Boehner Comments on Senate Immigration Bill
The recently elected leader provided hope that a strong compromise could be reached, providing a comprehensive legislation: "Now that the Senate has passed a bill, we owe it to the American people to seek common ground on responsible solutions, while always stressing our most important priority is to secure our borders and stop illegal immigration." Read House Majority Leader Boehner's statement posted 7:08 AM - 5.26.2006 Senate Passes Comprehensive Immigration Reform
The U.S. Senate just passed Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Senate Majority
Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) lead the bi-partisan effort, along with Minority Leader
Senator Reid (D-NV) to pass the legislation with a strong vote of over 60
Senators voting in the affirmative.
"We’ve taken a bill, and we’ve
made it better. We’ve taken a bill that the American people would have concluded
was amnesty—and by my lights, we took the amnesty out while we put the security
in.... The bill before us provides substantial reinforcement to our borders and
to the laws on the books. And it also provides a means for some to earn
citizenship while enforcing necessary restrictions." The bill failed to move forward the first time it was debate in the Senate due to discussions on amendments. During its second time being debated, the Senate debated 22 Republican amendments with 13 being adopted. These amendments helped make a stronger bill, significantly increasing national security measures. The statistics are:
posted 10:08 PM - 5.25.2006 Senate To Approve Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Learn more about the amendment. posted 12:08 PM - 5.25.2006 Congress Comments on President's Remarks Various members of Congress made statements regarding the President's immigration and border security speech. posted 3:08 PM - 5.16.2006 President Address Nation
President George W. Bush addressed the nation on the issue of Immigration and Border Security. This was the President's first domestic policy speech from the Oval Office, demonstrating his commitment to the issue. Read the President's speech. Get more information on the President's plan: Fact Sheet. posted 12:08 AM - 5.16.2006 Senators Speak Out About Compromise U.S. Senators Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) today released the following joint statement regarding the unanimous consent agreement to bring comprehensive immigration reform legislation back to the Senate floor Monday, May 15, 2006. posted 4:08 PM - 5.11.2006 Agreement Reached on Immigration
posted 12:14 PM - 5.11.2006 Current Law Goes Against Supply and Demand Both sides of the immigration debate see eye to eye on one issue, securing the border. The discussion begins to blur on the details on how to secure the border. A recent article states that current law has not worked because it has not dealt with the laws of supply and demand. posted 5:23 PM - 5.8.2006 Immigrants Protest Immigration Bill On May 1st hundreds of thousands of immigrants took to the streets in cities across the U.S. in what they called "National Day of Action." While numbers were large in some major cities like Los Angeles and Chicago, more modest protests occurred in Atlanta and other cities. While the true economic impact of the protest is yet to be seen, nine out of 10 workers in the landscaping industry took the day off, several major companies shut down factories including Tyson foods, American Apparel and several McDonald locations. posted 12:30 PM - 5.2.2006 Battle in the House
posted 2:40 PM - 5.1.2006 Progress Made on Immigration Reform Bill
A final agreement will occur next week, at the earliest. Both sides, Republicans and Democrats, are optimistic on the future of a comprehensive bill. posted 3:40 PM - 4.29.2006 Senator Martinez Tackles Immigration Reform
During the press conference Senator Martinez commented on the recent meetings with President Bush and also explained the compromise he helped author - the Hagel/Martinez Amendment. Listen to the Press Conference (Spanish/Español) To learn more about the Hagel/Martinez amendment visit Bills. posted 4:29 PM - 4.26.2006 President Discusses Immigration Reform with Members of the Senate
Politics seemed to be put aside as the Senators and the President worked out how to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year.
President Bush on Tuesday said, "I will report to
the American people that there is a common desire to have a bill that enforces
the border, a bill that has interior enforcement -- in other words, a bill that
will hold people to account for hiring somebody who is here
Congress Returns to Work
Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee will once again take up immigration reform in his committee. A bill is expected to be debated in the full Senate soon. To find out how to contact your Senator to share your views on immigration please visit the Action Center. posted 12:00 PM - 4.25.2006 President Emphasizes Comprehensive Reform
Read the the President's speech The President called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform as both chambers come back into session this week. The President also discussed his proposal for a temporary worker program that rejects amnesty, allows foreign workers to fill vacant jobs rejected by American workers, and reduces illegal immigration, smuggling, and crime at the border. He also stated deportation was an impractical solution for illegal immigration. Fact Sheet: Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Securing Our Border
Watch a short clip of the President's Speech posted 5:00 PM - 4.24.2006 Homeland Security Cracks Down on Employers
The raids coincided with an announcement made by Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff touting a comprehensive national strategy for dealing with
employers of undocumented immigrants. posted 5:00 PM - 4.20.2006 POLL: Hispanic Vote Dependent on Immigration Issue Recent polls show the Hispanic Republican vote may be in jeopardy due to the recent immigration debate. A poll conducted by IBD/TIPP found that 70% say their votes in November hinge on the immigration issue. With over 9 million registered Hispanic voters in the US, only recently has
the population showed its voting power. In 2004 George W. Bush would a record
45% of the Hispanic vote during presidential his re-election bid. posted 11:00 AM - 4.19.2006 President Calls On Minority Leader To Stop Blocking Reform President
Bush, speaking this week at the U.S. Small Business Administration's National
Small Business Week Conference called on Senate Minority Leader To Stop Blocking
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Senate Democrats Give In to AFL-CIO, Sell Out America
"After the Senate Judiciary
Committee put out a guest-worker bill, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney issued a
statement saying: "Guest-workers programs are a bad idea and harm all workers." posted 12:45 PM - 4.12.2006 Speaker Hastert, Majority Leader Frist Give Joint Statement on Border Security
In the statement they denounce the 109 House Democrats who blocked attempts by House Republican to change the language of the bill reducing the crime of unlawful presence in the United States from a felony to a misdemeanor. Currently it is not a criminal offense to unlawfully be in the United States, it is a civil offense. posted 12:15 PM - 4.12.2006 Frist Tackles Immigration Skeptics Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) recently released a fact sheet on the consensus border security provisions. The documents shows Senator Frist's strong commitment to securing America's border and addressing workplace enforcement and created a comprehensive immigration system that respects the rule of law. Senator Frist
expressed his dedication to enacting immigration reform and strong border
enforcement. The bill was derailed last week by Minority Leader Harry Read and
Senate Democrats. posted 3:50 PM - 4.11.2006 Bush Blames Democrats for Immigration Meltdown
"I call on the Senate minority leader to end his blocking tactics and allow the Senate to do its work and pass a fair, effective immigration reform bill," Bush said in his weekly radio address. The Senate bill is now in limbo as Senators have
gone home for spring recess for two weeks. Chairman Arlene Specter (R-PA)
promised to continue working on the bill when the Senate returns on April 24.
What Republicans are saying about the Senate obstruction. posted 2:10 PM - 4.10.2006 Border Security Held Hostage by Partisan Games Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas),
chairman of the Immigration and Border Security subcommittee, made the following
statement Friday regarding the bipartisan rejection of the Minority Leader’s
obstruction: Democrats Maneuver to Kill Immigration Bill
According to Senate Leadership aides there are close to 400 amendments filed to help improve the legislation and strengthen many provisions. Democrats are are not allowing Senators to offer amendments. Yesterday in a joint press conference
Republicans and Democrats announced a compromise on the legislation in order to
pass the monumental overhaul to the broken immigration system. Yet late Thursday
evening Senator Reid has appeared to go back on his promise. Senate Likely To Reach Compromise A compromise arrangement is likely to be reached by republicans and democrats in Senate on immigration reform, dealing with the toughest issues that had divided both parties and threatened to kill the immigration bill. Senator Martinez and Senator Hagel have provided an amendment to Senator Frist's bill on how to deal with illegal immigrations, setting up a three tiered process. A procedure for those residing in the U.S. for more then 5 years, another for 2 - 5 years, and another set of rules for those in the U.S. less then 2 years. For future immigrants, 325,000 temporary work permits will be available, but only if the U.S. employers advertises the job at the prevailing local wage and can not find an American worker to take the job. The amendment keeps all the border security and interior enforcement language currently in the bill. For full details of the Martinez/Hagel amendment click here. posted 11:10 AM - 4.6.2006 Fate of Immigration Bill Questionable
The measure by Democrats comes in a highly politically charged
atmosphere. The democratic maneuvering, in an election year, would leave the
Republicans with a harsh immigration bill which criminalizes illegal immigrants
in the House and the inability to move legislation in the Senate. It would also
save Democrats for voting on controversial measures. posted 9:49 AM - 4.5.2006 Administration States Position On Security/Immigration Reform The Administration sent out a Statement of Administration policy supporting S. 2454, Senator Bill Frist (R-TN) immigration/border security reform legislation on Tuesday afternoon. The statement stated: "The Administration is committed to comprehensive immigration
reform that will secure the border, strengthen enforcement of immigration laws
in the Nation's interior, and create a temporary worker program that does not
provide amnesty..." posted 9:00 AM - 4.5.2006 Democrats Obstruct Movement on Immigration Bill
Today Senator John Cornyn (R- TX) stated the Senate inability to move comprehensive border security and immigration reform along has been largely caused by obstructionary tactics by the Senate Democrats. ".. Right now, because Democrats refuse to allow us to have a vote, we're pretty much dead in the water," said Senator Cornyn.
Read on Frist Outlines Need for Compromise on Worker Program U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D. (R-TN) on Sunday
appeared on CNN’s Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer and continued the push he began
last October for the Senate to act on comprehensive immigration reform- which
includes border security, interior and worksite enforcement and a temporary
worker program. Additionally, he outlined the need for the Senate to define a
workable temporary worker program. posted 1:00 PM - 4.3.2006 What Direction Is The Republican Party Heading?
Newspapers, politicians, bloggers and regular Americans are posing the question, what is the future of the Republican Party? In case you missed them, here are are some articles grappling with the issue, what is happening within the Grand Old Party?
For more articles on immigration visit our news section. posted 4:45 PM - 3.31.2006 Alexander Proposes New Citizenship Amendment On Friday Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) proposed an amendment to the
immigration reform bill. The amendment
is based on Alexander’s Strengthening American Citizenship Act which encourages
legal immigrants who are prospective citizens to become American by learning
English, American history and our way of government. The Democrats objected to
allowing a vote on the amendment Senator Martinez: Point Man on Divisive Issue
Senator Martinez, the only foreign born Senator, is a native of Cuba. His parents sent him to the United States through Operation Pedro Pan to escape the brutal communist government of Cuba. "This is a difficult issue because there are those in our country who feel, quite frankly, that we are full," said Martinez. "If that had been the prevailing view in 1962, I might not have the chance to be your senator today." Martinez has been lobbying his colleagues for comprehensive reform. He agrees the need to tighten borders, but also to expand the nation's guest worker program to allow immigrant to fill millions of vacant agricultural, tourism and service jobs. Currently the U.S. is at 4.8 % unemployment, almost complete employment for the nation. The Florida Senator warns his fellow Republicans that immigration reform has galvanized Hispanics like no other issue, pushing draconian measures will risks significant inroads made by the GOP within the Hispanic community by politicians like President Bush. Over the last three national elections, outreach by President Bush and other republican leaders have doubled Hispanic support for the GOP by over 40%, a huge increase from only 20% in 1996. In 2004 the President earned 45% of the Hispanic vote. "There's so many millions of us who were not born here but who view ourselves in that same light, who take such offense when people speak in disparaging words about Hispanic immigrants," said Martinez. "They should have told us they didn't want our vote if it was a problem, but they never did." Read the Senator's full interview. posted 12:27 PM - 3.30.2006 Speaker Hastert Hints To Compromise | ||||||||||
Rep.
Jeff Flake (R- AZ) and Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) today unveiled their new
immigration reform proposal - "Security Through Regularized Immigration and a
Vibrant Economy Act of 2007" (STRIVE ACT). The bipartisan bill has received
support from the Congressional Hispanic Conference. .
The
President has outlined five points necessary for immigration reform on
WhiteHouse.gov. 
During
President Bush's 2007 State of the Union address he focused on agenda heavy on
domestic issues such as health care, education, energy conservation and
immigration. 
Yesterday
in Arizona President Bush signed into law the annual homeland-security spending
bill that provides funding for 700 miles of fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The
Senate passed a bill that approves the construction of 700 miles of fencing
along the U.S.-Mexico border. 
According
to a report from the Capitol Standard "
In
a statement made today House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) provided
insight on the House Republicans’ September legislative agenda. 
The
Department of Homeland Security stated there are 11 million illegal aliens
living and working in the United States, up from 8.5 million in 2000 -- a 24
percent jump with an expected annual growth of more than 408,000, according to
an article in the Washington Times. The greatest percentage increase in the
nation's illegal immigrant population was among people from India, a jump of 133
percent from 2000.
In
an editorial in The New York the paper attacked Sen. Charles Schumer saying:
Members
of Congress continue to host hearings throughout the month of August in cities
all across the country. Recently hearings took place in Texas with mixed
emotions from attendees. 
The
Democrats video ad aimed at attacking the Bush administration on security has
come under harsh criticism from Hispanic groups on both side of the aisle.
On
Tuesday the Republican National Hispanic Assembly (RNHA) blasted the
As
Congress breaks for the August recess many Members of Congress are still
analyzing the Sen. Hutchinson/ Rep. Pence Immigration Reform Plan. 
Two
conservative lawmakers - Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R- Tex.) and
Representative Mike Pence (R - Ind.) - are hoping their proposal will provide
Congress, and especially the Republican party, with a compromise on immigration
reform. Today the two will unveil a plan that would allow most of the 11 million
illegal immigrants in the United States a chance to work in the country legally,
but only after the government certifies that U.S. borders have been sufficiently
secured. 
The Pew Hispanic Center recently
released a new poll that shows Hispanics are increasingly feeling discriminated
and yet politically energized and unified since the onset of the
immigration debate. 
Wisconsin
Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. is the man behind the House passed
enforcement first immigration reform bill. He stands firm on his principles and states he has no
tolerance for illegal immigration. 
This
week Congress has started hosting field hearings regarding immigration reform.
On
Wednesday, President George W. Bush stopped by a Virginia Dunkin' Donuts/ Baskin
Robbins store to talk about immigration reform. The shop's management showed the
diversity of American small business, the store owners are both Iranian
immigrants, Abolhossein
Ejtemai and Ali Assayesh , the general manager, Reynaldo
Ramos, is a native of El Salvador, and the district manager, Adriana Hernandez,
hails from Guatemala. 
Conservative
Senate Republicans said today support is building for a compromise on
immigration legislation whereby border-security provisions would go into effect
first and could eventually "trigger" broader immigration changes -- something
that House Speaker Hastert indicated would be considered. The trigger idea has
been held out as a potential bridge between the House and Senate immigration
bills.
The
House of Representatives continues to outline their plan for immigration
hearings. About nine different committees are expected to participate in the
summer meetings, with additional hearings expected in the month of August when
Congress is in recess. 
House
Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) reiterated Republicans’ commitment to
enacting a strong immigration reform bill. House Republicans also unveiled a set
of 5 principles of border security. 
The
House Republican leadership recently announced Tuesday they will hold more
hearings this summer on the Senate passed version of the immigration bill before
going to conference. The hearings will take place in Washington D.C. and
throughout the country.
Secretary
of Commerce, Carlos Gutierrez recently took questions on immigration.
Yesterday
the
The Senate will approve the Comprehensive Immigration Reform legislation today.
On
Thursday Senate Leaders reached an agreement on a comprehensive immigration
bill, providing strong border security, increased penalties for employers and a
chance for millions to become American citizen. Senators say they hope to pass
the measure before Memorial Day. 
While
Senators seem to be reaching consensus and closer to passing a comprehensive
immigration reform bill, the prospect of the House of Representatives following
in the Senate footsteps is questionable. 
As
early as next week Senators may debate immigration reform and border security.
On Friday the Senate leadership moved closer to a procedural agreement to revive
the issue and allow for full senate debate and the consideration of amendments.
Senator
Mel Martinez (R-FL) held a press conference in Spanish today from Washington
D.C. addressing the most current developments regarding the immigration debate.
On Tuesday President Bush met with Senate leadership to talk frankly about
immigration reform and border security.
During
a trip in Southern California President Bush on Monday said, "I believe that
immigration has helped reinvigorate the soul of America. I know that when
somebody comes to our country because he or she has a dream and is willing to
work hard for that dream, it makes America a better place."
This
week Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) officials arrested 1,187 people
on charges of illegal immigration and illegal workplace hires.
A
recent article in the San Diego Tribune explains why the Senate's immigration
and border security bill was killed last week by the Democratic leadership. The
article also explains how the Democratic leadership, headed by Senator Reid
(D-NV), in blinding the Latino community.
President
George W. Bush blamed the collapse of immigration reform and border security on
Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). The President claimed party politics came
before American security when dealing with the issue. 
Senate
Democratic Leader 
Late
Tuesday night the outcome of the bipartisan immigration bill did not appear
positive. Democrats had been blocking votes on additional amendments on the bill
for the last two weeks. Then Minority leader, Harry Reid (D-NV), moved to force
an up or down vote on the bill, knowing it would likely die in Republican hands,
as the GOP currently does not have the votes needed to pass the legislation.
The
Senate is currently in its second week of border security/immigration reform
debate. 
People
around the country are wondering about the repercussions of the current
immigration debate.