Earlier Today, Rep. Luis Gutierrez introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009, or "CIR ASAP" for short. The bill has close to 90 cosponsors, and according to the Immigration Policy Center, seeks to:
- Enhance border security and achieve effective immigration enforcement
- Improve conditions of detention
- Increase protections during enforcement activities
- Create an employment verification system to help employers authorize new hires
- Reduce the backlog in family and employment immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing
- Keep U.S. families together
- Prevent future illegal immigration
- Provide a program to legalize qualified undocumented immigrants
- Provide legalization through the DREAM Act
- Support the AgJOBS Act of 2009
- Strengthen America's workforce with the creation of a Commission on Immigration and Labor Markets, revisions to temporary worker programs and changes to the H-2B and EB-5 visa programs
- Closely examine immigration fees
- Improve the naturalization process and integration to encourage citizenship among immigrant communities
The full text of the legislation is not yet available on the Senate website, but a summary is provided by the Immigration Policy Center.
What the bill does not include is language for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families. You can read more about this issue on Immigration Equality's blog.
Keep in mind that this is not "the immigration reform bill to end all bills." We should expect to see additional immigration proposals in the months ahead. Senator Schumer is on-point to deliver immigration reform legislation for consideration in the Senate in 2010.
Comments
THE BATTLE OF ALL POLITICAL BATTLES IS ABOUT TO COMMENCE.
If Internet blogger’s, the national and rural newspaper comments, forums or bulletin boards, are a national grading of passing Comprehensive Immigration Reform–FORGET IT! IT JUST ISN’T GOING TO HAPPEN! I follow the commentaries very carefully and my observation show a very negative response to any new law that indicates giving the 20 to 30 million illegal immigrants a more or less free passport to the road of citizenship. We don’t have to forcibly deport, as E-Verify is the computer ideally suited to eject foreign labor from the all working locations? IT WORKS! It’s success rate is climbing even higher, as its continually modified. Under normal circumstances it would be an impossibility to pass any AMNESTY? But when the headlines scream that 15 million irate Americans and legal residents cannot find employment, the chances of giving another AMNESTY, is impossible–and absolutely, incredulous that they would even try?
Advancing this insane reform law under the noses of middle class Americans is going to be a expiration of Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), Speaker Pelosi, Napolitano and a whole mis-match of Democrats who are thinking they will be re-elected. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) champion of his government in Mexico and throughout Central and South America will–NOT–survive his incumbent election. No tourist or student overstays are equally unwelcome in this nation of laws. CALL ALL YOUR SENATORS AND EVEN CONGRESSMEN/ WOMEN. NOW and urge them–NOT–to support COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM. IT’S NOT NEEDED? THE ! THE 1986 IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL WAS NEVER, EVER ENFORCED. The Capitol Switchboard’s telephone number is 202-224-3121. REMEMBER TO SEND IN YOUR 28Cent POSTCARDS NOW! WE MUST DEFEAT THIS IMMIGRATION REFORM PACKAGE.
There must be heavy consequences to illegally settling here, such as upgrading the unauthorized entry to a felony. In the future we must have an orderly immigration recruitment system, but only for people with highly skilled qualifications. Guest Workers must be equally vetted and not just given permission without strict–return instructions home, after completing their contract. No family reunification, because this has been rife with fraud as sponsors end up reneging on the financial aspect. All this issues can easily be resolved with amendment to the 1986 immigration bill. What to do with 20 to 30 million illegal aliens from across the world, slowly repatriate them using the SAVE ACT. We are unable to afford the costs attributed to illegal immigration. Learning in the Sanctuary State of California has collapsed from the massive surge of illegal foreign nationals into the school system.
Observe CNN TV documentary this week, “California in Crisis” The state may still implode under the huge burden of supporting financially the illegal aliens with large families. Unrevealed billions of dollars are skimmed from state treasuries, to pay for the immigrants that cannot sustain themselves around this nation. The demented politicians in Sacramento are already talking about raising taxes. No state remains untouched by the unparalleled invasion of this great sovereign country.Understand the immigration enforcement gradings of your politicians at NUMBERSUSA. Understand how taxpayers have been taken for a ride for decades and the unrevealed costs to you. See what JUDICIAL WATCH has to say about CORRUPTION in WASHINGTON. IF AMNESTY PASSES WE ARE JUST A SHORT INTERLUDE FROM OVERPOPULATION AND A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY EXISTENCE.
Mr Brittancus,
you are the best sample why US is on the knees.Good luck
Brittainicus get a job, a family, or a hobby! Stop blogging! We are sick of the things you write. The love you take is equal to the love you make. What goes around comes around. There sure is a lot of anger and hatred on the way back to you.
hey big time bloggers find some thing better to do than being profiling racism ,every one has a life to live if anyone is already here let them live we got no shortage of land or food?matter of fact they work and make money for living ,they are not even eligible for benefits like we are,so please let them live
Mr. Brittancus, before giving delicate comments like this one you need to do a real research. First of all Rep. Luis Gutiérrez was born in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Northeastern Illinois University in 1975. He held jobs as a high school teacher, cab driver, and social worker with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services before entering politics. Mr. Gutierrez is Puerto Rican descent. He is a member of the US Congressional Progressive Caucus. Gutiérrez has assembled support from a broad section of Chicagoans, including Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans.
Mr. Gutierrez not only helped our people in general without looking at their background he also has being a strong advocate not only for the Illinois Veterans but for the military families too.
I never in my life stop and really took a look at the “immigrants” in the US or Puerto Rico. People think of them as “thieves”. Thieves of what? Like our parents hundreds of years ago they too came to this land for a dreams, a land that was not theirs, a land that was “stolen” from the American natives and people were killed for the land. Why? There was, then and now, the big dream of giving families a better life. The difference is that there are no stolen lands nor are killings. Why do you all only think of Mexican immigrant, do you know that there are a lot of immigrants that come to the US every day that are not Hispanic?
You have your eyes covered so are thousands of “Americans”. I know hundreds of Americans that have no jobs because they were laid of, took it for granted and did a mediocre job or because when they graduated they found no job in their lane of career. A big percent of them won’t accept any job unless they receive the same amount of money, or more, or because they are not under the same career path. They do not accept jobs in fast foods, cleaning houses, buildings (those that no one wants, the one we, as parents, would not like to see our children to do; -we just want the best). They can not accept that. They are so comfortable living at the government expense: food stamps, medical, discounts for phone bills, electricity, gas, school lunches, etc. , that they just complain so people think they are doing something but in reality they are not doing anything.
These illegal immigrants wake up early in the mornings and stand at a corner waiting to be picked up for a job every morning, a job for just that day in times or a job that they might not get that day. Others wake up early to start their days going to one jobs sometimes two jobs, for a few bucks, jobs that sometimes abuse their legal situation. I have known people that get a job and at the end of the week they get just a few bucks for 10 to 16 hour job a day or simply to get no money at all because they get played by the employers. You and me, we can go and do something but they are afraid and feel they can not do anything because tomorrow will be another day and they still need to find another way to send some dollars to be converted in pesos for their families back home. A lot of them struggle with money and live in poor conditions sharing a basement that gets flooded sometimes with between 2 or more people, just to be able to send some dollars to their families back home. This is like when people used to attack the black community, the black community found their way to protect their people. Just me thinking this is like when a boy learn how to stand for himself making it difficult for the bully to touch him or abuse him, then the bully (ignorant people) goes to the next weak boy, and so on (in this case the Mexicans)
Did you know A Lot Of Illegal Immigrants Pay Their Taxes Every Year just like you and me using their ITIN numbers, they are no ghost to the tax world, but hey never get any money back like when we, citizens with a SSN file our taxes and get return money from taxes. Most of these illegal immigrants come to the “North” thinking they will work hard for a few years and then will go back to their homes and have some money to build a house of maybe 5 to no more than 20 thousand dollars.
I had young kids approached me to ask if they can join the military service, they too are proud of sharing this land and would like to help protecting the same. But once again, even thou we are in need of Soldiers, they can not do so unless they have papers started. I thing they should be given the chance of join the service and get maybe not their citizenship but at least their residence while in the service.
Why is the US citizen afraid? I too work, and maybe I will be laid off, out of work at some point it happened in the past and it might happen again. Maybe not because of us (what if we are the ones doing the bad job or taking it for granted) or because any illegal immigrant but because companies, jobs and positions move every day they grow they get smaller, they get sold, they move around. I also have children that will be looking for jobs in the future but this is a huge land, I guess we will have to work harder to get jobs; we will have to start from the bottom to get to the one we want.
I believe once the immigration situation is solved we will be able to live a better life. I believe military service should open their doors to them even without a SSN or the “papers”, I believe they should be oriented to pay taxes and as long as taxes are paid they should also be free to enjoy this land. This is not my land neither is yours, it was built for and by immigrants “without papers” And there is space for all of us here…
I can’t help but feeling that people who have all their lives on hold, waiting for UAFA to pass, are -or going to- get f**ked in their hopeful behinds.
This is a self-serving bill that seeks to gut immigration law enforcement by preventing the arrest of illegal aliens and numerous locations. Additionally, it seeks to increase the number of legal immigrants by broadening the categories to let more and more extended family members into the U.S. under the guise of family reunification. Why does reunification have to take place in the U.S.? It doesnt’!
I hope this immigration reform passes soon. My husband would qualify and I would no longer have to pay lawyers, trips to court. The US Federal courts would no longer have to pay for the prosecution (INS) to attend and interpreters. I would be cost effective for all. I do feel that undocumented felons should be sent back to their home land and honest, hardworking, tax paying undocumented individuals should be given the opportunity to be documented. Yes, put the wall up. There must be an end NOW to the illegal entries into the USA.
I CAN ONLY SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MYSELF N MY FAMILY WE HAVE BEEN PRAYING THAT ALL THIS COMES 2 A END SOON N MY FIANCE WILL BE GRANTED PERMISSION BACK INTO THE U.S SEE HE WAS HERE ILLEGAL BUT WENT BACK ON HIS OWN 2 DO THE RIGHT THING WE THOUGHT AFTER ATTORNEY & IMMIGRATION FEES LOT’S OF TIME,TRIPS N MONEY THEY PUNISHED HIM 4 BEING HERE AND SAID HE WAS NOT ALLOWED BACK FOR 10YRS. COME ON AMERICA WE HAVE MURDERS,RAPIST,ALL KINDS OF BAD PPL IN THIS COUNTRY THAT R NOT HISPANICS N THEY GET LESS PUNISHMENT THAN THAT! WE R LETING KILLERS N CHILD MOLESTERS OUT N ON THE STREETS THIS WAS A LAW ABIDING MAN WHO HAD BEEN WITH ME FOR 9YRS WHO’S SEEN THE CHILDREN GROW UP N BEEN A PAPI FOR MY GRANDAUGHTER HE WORKED EVERYDAY N DID ALL HE COULD FOR ANYONE IN NEED HE WAS ONE OF THOSE HISPANICS THAT CAME N MADE UR YARD LOOK GOOD N WORKED FOR HARDLY NOTHING N NEVER COMPLAINED. ALL HE WANTED WAS TO B TREATED FAIR LIKE ALL THE OTHER ILLEGALS THAT R HERE N WE’RE TALKING ABOUT PPL THAT AMERICA’S EVEN BEEN AT WAR WITH AND TERRIORIST N ILLEGALS THAT BRING DISEASE TO OUR COUNTRY N I’M SO SICK N TIRED OF EVERYONE PICKING ON THE HISPANIC RACE WE R IGNORANT&IMATURE THEY CAN’T HELP THAT AMERICAN’S R LAZY N DON’T WANT TO DO THE HARD WORK!! THEY CAN’T HELP WHERE THEY WERE BORN OR WHAT THE COLOR OF THIER SKIN IS. AFTER ALL THESE YEARS WE STILL HAVE PPL BRINGING UP SLAVERY THAT WE HAD NO CONTROL OVER BUT, WHAT ABOUT THESE HISPANIC PPL THAT ONLY COME HERE 2 TRY 2 MAKE A BETTER WAY THEY DON’T WANT TO STILL FROM US THEY MOSTLY WANT TO WORK HARD THEY ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER RACE AROUND THIER ARE GOOD ONES N THERE ARE BAD ONES WHO R WE 2 JUDGE? WHO KNOWS THIS LAND MIGHT HAVE BEEN THIER LAND THEY R NOT ASKING FOR MUCH ALL THEY WANT IS A FAIR CHANCE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE I’VE BEEN 2 MEXICO 5 TIMES IF WE HAD 2 LIVE LIKE SOME OF THEM DO WE COULDN’T SURVIVE. I SAY LET THEM COME AND HAVE THE SAME RULES AS EVERYONE ELSE N B PUNISHED THE SAME BUT B TREATED EQUAL I THINK WE WOULD SEE A BIG CHANGE N THIS WORLD 2 B A BETTER PLACE! I THINK A BIG REASON WHY THERE R SO MANY HISPANICS N TROUBLE IT’S B’CAUSE OF US WE WANT TREAT THEM FAIR THEY WOULDN’T DRIVE W/O LICENSE IF WE LET THEM HAVE EM! WE PICK ON THEM LIKE THEY ARE THE WORST PPL BUT THE ONES I KNOW R GOOD PPL SUM BETTER THAN MY OWN RACE ALWAYS GOING THAT XTRA MILE TO HELP IF THEY CAN N NEVER COMPLAINING OR ASKING FOR MUCH. WE R HURTING INNOCENT CHILDREN N SPLITING UP HOMES N FAMILIES BY OUR FOOLISH DECISIONS HAS AMERICA REALY TURNED 2 SATIN’S WAYS? I ALWAYS HEARD GOD MADE EVERYONE EQUAL I KNOW THEY R SOMEBODY CAUSE GOD DON’T MAKE NO JUNK N REGARDLESS WHAT WE THINK THEY R GOD’S CHILDREN! SO WHY IS IT WE R PICKING ON THE HISPANIC’S SO MUCH? WE ALL REALY KNOW THE MAJORITY OF THEM R GOOD PPL OUR ECONOMY NEEDS THEM REGARDLESS IF WE WANT 2 ADMITT IT OR NOT COULD U IMAGINE GOING 2 BED W/UR FAMILY AT NITE N WAKING 2 FIND THAT SOME OF THEM WERE MISS’N N THE MORNING HOW WOULD U FEEL? IMAGINE HOW WE FEEL AS A FAMILY N TELLING MY 4YR OLD GRANDAUGHTER THAT HER ONLY DADDY SHE’S KNOWN IS GONE N NOT COMING BACK WHAT A GREAT CHRISTMAS PRESENT WE GOT FROM OUR GOVERMENT AFTER TRYN 2 DO THE RIGHT THING. DO YA’LL HAPPEN 2 KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS 2 TRY 2 DO THIS? DIDN’T THINK SO! I THINK IT’S ALL DOWN RIGHT CRUELTY N WE SHOULD B TRY’N 2 FIGURE OUT WAYS 2 HELP THESE PPL STAY HERE INSTEAD OF ROBBING THEM OF THEY’RE AMERICAN DREAM! THINK ABOUT IF SOMEONE TOOK OVER OUR COUNTRY 2NITE N WE HAD 2 LEAVE OUR FAMILIES 2MORROW WHAT WOULD U DO N HOW WOULD U FEEL? NO MATTER WHAT THE RESULTS R WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP THE FIGHT I WOULDN’T WANT 2 B THE 1 THAT MAKES THE WRONG DECISION N DESTROYS SOMEONES LIFE FOREVER THAT WAS NLY FIGHTING FOR EQUAL RIGHTS LIKE EVERY OTHER HUMAN BEING! GOD BLESS US ALL
Nina,great letter! Unfortunately the ignorance and the wrong information about how immigration system doesn’t work is so large that I am afraid few of the American citizens will be able to understand how hard ,almost impossible, it is to do “the right things” even for a worldwide famous pluri awarded engineer like me.
Before to act for the reform should need a kind of education program to make people to understand how the system works.
Believe it or not, in many debates I have had it came out that many believe that “to do the right things” you just need to go to ak for a SSN and file some paperwork at the courthouse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am working in collaboration with FIAT to re design Chrysler to be competitive again in a very troubled automotive market. Guess what? the MAIN problem are the VISAS for the people needed to collaborate with the american engineers. We are stucked since months making our engineers go and come back from Italy every 90 days and things are getting too long with all the problems connected. It’s just…humiliating.
We need hope, but what we’ll hear by FOX and associates during the immigration reform process will probabli generate anger and frustration, we’ll hear a long serie of lies and my ulcera probably will get worst and worst.
Good luck to everybody!!