Where Immigration Reform Stands Without Kennedy
(AP)
In a column in Roll Call newspaper, editor Morton Kondracke writes that passing immigration reform would also be a fitting tribute to the stalwart liberal, who died Tuesday night.
Kennedy dramatically changed the United States' immigration system with the Immigration Act of 1965, which eliminated the quota system and allowed immigration from Latin America and Asia to dramatically increase. The bill "will go down as one of our nation's core civil-rights bills of that era," the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute's Vice President Don Kerwin said in a statement.
He also worked to pass the Refugee Act of 1980, and in 1986 he supported a measure that allowed nearly three million undocumented immigrants to gain legal status and established penalties against employers who hired illegal immigrants. He supported the Immigration Act of 1990, which increased the number of immigrants that could enter the country, including those who could enter with permanent job-related visas and temporary worker visas.
"Senator Kennedy was the driving force behind every significant piece of immigration legislation over the past 40-plus years," the American Immigration Law Foundation noted in a statement (PDF).
CBSNews.com Special Report: Ted Kennedy
"Both political parties and every American, regardless of status or station, can honor Senator Kennedy's life and legacy by recommitting ourselves to making the United States of America the most welcoming, free, egalitarian and successful nation on earth," wrote Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum."
In recent years, Kennedy worked with Republican Sen. John McCain to shape a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would have given an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.
Kondracke compares the criticism of that measure to the controversy currently surrounding health care reform. The immigration measure faced "a hysterical campaign mounted by right-wing groups and talk show hosts that the bill would grant 'amnesty' to illegals," he writes. "It's akin to the current demagoguery over 'death panels' supposedly created under pending health legislation."
Kondracke notes that since that debate in 2006 and 2007, the country has made significant steps in improving its border security -- an issue that many have said should take priority over immigration reform. For instance, U.S. Border Patrol manpower has been doubled since 2005.
At a Senate hearing earlier this year, Customs and Border Protection said that the number of people arrested while illegally crossing the Mexican border fell by 27 percent from the same period since last year.
"We can pass strong, fair, practical and effective immigration reform this year," Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), chairman of the immigration subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said after that hearing.
President Obama met with members of Congress this year to discuss immigration reform, but White House officials admitted that there is currently not enough support in Congress to pass immigration reform. On a trip to Mexico earlier this month, the president said immigration reform would have to wait until next year.
While Kennedy's death has prompted a pause in partisan vitriol over health care and a spate of other issues, it is impossible to say for how long a more even-tempered tone in Washington can last.
Immigration reform is sure to be a hot topic in 2010 regardless of its progress in Congress, as Sen. McCain will face scrutiny over the issue in his re-election campaign.
Read more stories on Sen. Kennedy's life and death at CBSNews.com:
CBS News Special: Ted Kennedy – The Last Brother
Sen. Edward Kennedy Dies at Age 77
Mourners Gather For Kennedy Memorial
Kennedy To Be Missed in Health Care Fight
Across the Pond, Irish Praise Hero Abroad
Kennedy Did His Life's Work Until the End
Kennedy's Bad Boy Days
Who Is Heir to Kennedy's Liberal Legacy?
Kennedy and the "Little Guy"
Sen. Byrd: Health Bill Should be Named for Kennedy
"Liberal Lion" Remembered
Brothers "Would Have been Proud"
CBSNews.com Special Report: Ted Kennedy
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A major factor driving undocumented migration is that people know they have *no* hope of getting here legally. Or, in some cases, they may have someone who can petition for them but they know it would take many years, and they're living in a situation that's just too unsafe. (The US is not liberal with refugee or asylee status.)
Kennedy didn't create undocumented migration. It's ancient. Our gov't does have some responsibility for it. Letting unscrupulous employers preferentially hire near-slave labor that they mistreat and underpay is not OK. We could do to enforce labor laws a lot better. Fighting proxy wars in Central America, gutting the economies of neighboring countries with "fair" trade agreements that aren't fair, large-scale deportation of violent criminals, all promote migration. The gov't doesn't "allow" people in, but it has supported policies that have pushed migrants out of their home countries.
Militarizing the border won't stop migration. Economic justice, real development aid, support for reform, all have a chance. We should go for those options, and we should start at home.
This refusal to abide by our Constitution or enforce our Immigration Laws should be classified as Treason of the most foul kind, & as grounds for impeachment & trials for Treason!
Not only have they allowed the invasion, they force American tax payers to pay Billions on Billions of dollars to provide Welfare, Prison cells, Educate the invaders numerous children, and free medical care , at the same time the invading horde break numerous laws and massive document fraud, & are destroying ourschools, hospitals, communities, culture and standard of living while Robbing, Raping, Killing & Assaulting American Citizens! WAKE UP!
RIP
I for one, am sick and tired of these ILLEGAL ALIENS snubbing their nose at our immigration laws and the many other laws of this Country. If our Federal Government can not ENFORCE our immigration laws, and get these ILLEGAL ALIENS out of this Country, then let the States do it! One way or another, an end has to come to this illegal immigration, and not with AMNESTY! Amnesty will only encourage more ILLEGAL ALIENS to invade our Country and reward those who broke our laws and raped the American taxpayer in many ways...depressing our wages, taking our jobs, overwhelming our schools with their ILLEGAL ALIEN children, driving without a license or car insurance, all the crime from stolen identities to rape, drugs and everything else.
It's time for ZERO TOLERENCE with these ILLEGAL ALIENS. It's time for them get out of this Country and back in their own Country where they belong. When we get rid of the ILLEGAL ALIENS, we will get rid of all the problems that go with them. THAT IS A FACT!
It is obvious you have no self-respect and from an objective manner the intellect to recognize Senator Kennedy's achievements in Congress. His patriotism, and passion to this land was also affected in his life time experiences as he saw his family members assasinated and the years of experience throughout the last 47 years.....Most importantly this country became a power and a leader in the time he was a political figure. Congress cannot do everything as the president can't either SO it is up to us, citizens to uphold the Law and reinforce it on every single decision made by it......Anyway Iam certain that any of you or you family's ancestry DID NOT as much as Senator Kennedy and his family did in his life time. That is the reason WHY none of you is in office and just ride the wave of the well-being of this country by complaining and not being happy about your lives.......do something and run for office if you can......if not just be born again and try it!!
It is obvious you have no self-respect and from an objective manner the intellect to recognize Senator Kennedy's achievements in Congress. His patriotism, and passion to this land was also affected in his life time experiences as he saw his family members assasinated and the years of experience throughout the last 47 years.....Most importantly this country became a power and a leader in the time he was a political figure. Congress cannot do everything as the president can't either SO it is up to us, citizens to uphold the Law and reinforce it on every single decision made by it......Anyway Iam certain that any of you or you family's ancestry did as much as Senator Kennedy did in his life time. That is the reason WHY anny of you is in office and just ride the wave of the well-being of this country by complaining and not being happy about your lives.......do something and run for office if you can......if not just be born again and try it!!