Bipartisan Immigration Deal Reached

White House Reaches Agreement With Bipartisan Group Of Senators On Overhaul

(CBS/AP)  In a striking reach across party lines, the White House and key lawmakers agreed Thursday to reshape the nation's immigration laws and give millions of illegal immigrants legal status. At the same time, borders would be tightened.

The compromise brought liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans together with top members of President Bush's team on an issue that carries heavy potential risks and rewards for all involved.

The Senate will wade into an emotional and wide-ranging debate on the issue next week that promises to test the unlikely coalition that produced the deal. Almost instantly, the plan brought vehement criticism from both sides of the immigration issue, including liberals who called it unfair and unworkable and conservatives who branded it an overly permissive "amnesty."

The proposal constitutes a far-reaching change in the immigration system that would admit future arrivals seeking to put down roots in the U.S. based on their skills, education levels and job experience, limiting the importance of family ties. A new class of guest workers would be allowed in temporarily, but only after borders were fortified and measures were in place to ensure the rules were followed.

Under the proposed deal, the Department of Homeland Security is under new pressure to plug the holes in the porous border with Mexico, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr. It must complete 370 miles of fencing, 200 miles of vehicle barriers, 70 ground-based radar and camera towers and deploy four unmanned aerial drones.

All of those steps have to happen before the 12 million illegal workers who are already in the country can pursue permanent legal status, Orr reports.

Mr. Bush said the proposal would "help enforce our borders but equally importantly, it'll treat people with respect."

Added late in the negotiations was the Dream Act, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson. Immigrants who came illegally as children and are now in college or the military could stay and get a green card in just three years. This would be the fastest path to citizenship.

"This is a bill where people who live here in our country will be treated without amnesty but without animosity," Mr. Bush said.

The formula was enough to satisfy liberal Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. — viewed as his party's decisive voice on immigration — and Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., a conservative who has been adamantly opposed to past overhauls.

Kennedy hailed it as "the best possible chance we will have in years to secure our borders and bring millions of people out of the shadows and into the sunshine of America."

Kyl said the measure wasn't perfect, "but it represents the best opportunity that we have in a bipartisan way to do something about this problem."

It was clear, however, that many Republicans and Democrats were deeply skeptical. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called the proposal a "starting point" for next week's debate and said it needed improvement.

"I have serious concerns about some aspects of this proposal, including the structure of the temporary worker program and undue limitations on family immigration," Reid said.

[drivelphobe]

What happened to the" will of the people" the democrats refer to when they think we're supposed to withdraw from Iraq? It only gets mentioned when it works for the politicians. The American Citizen gets screwed again. Vote these imbeciles out of office. Who's paying the medical costs for these illegal/Z-visa holders and their multiple offspring? The political fall out from this "Spit in the face of US Citizens" agreement could prove interesting. I hope it is the end for these open borders yokels. Where are you supposed to park your shopping cart after you unload your groceries? Welcome to Calimex and you better bone up on your Spanish. If this goes through, and it probably will, it is the end of the USA and the English language. How utterly nauseating and disgusting.

[jjp735i]

I hope others run in the next election because no one sitting in now will get my vote. Not a one.

[jswilliams451]

Just another step towards what all these guys really want:

A North American Union of Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Lots of money to be made in a new Union.

Just like NAFTA.

Problem is, the the rich just make more money. And all the little guys get screwed.

[lilvinnyb]

I REFUSE TO VOTE FOR ANYONE WHO SUPPORTS THIS BILL.......PERIOD........DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN!

[politikz2]

What the ***!!!

[olebd]

This deal will become bigger than any terrorist threat to the U.S. if it goes through. These politicians don't listen to the majority anymore. What a shame. I never thought I would see the day but it looks like we're going to be going down hill fast.

[peter776-2009]

I am outraged by my do-nothing federal government. My town is under siege from illegal aliens. They are everywhere -- the Recreation Center I no longer visit, the highway bridge being built in our town by unscrupulous contractors, and our local park, which is littered with trash every weekend. Our local school is packed with the illegal aliens who consume valuable teacher time and resources. Why are my hard-earned tax dollars being spent on people who have no right to be in my country? This immigration legislation grants amnesty to 12 million illegal aliens and permits them to bring relatives into the US. What kind of insanity is this? Whose grand idea is it to legalize residency for some 30 million people who have no skills, no education, do not speak English and who will bring increased crime rates with them? Who could this possibly benefit? Only the owners of businesses who want cheap labor. Greed %u2013 in a word -- is behind this legislation, not democracy. I literally do not know a single person, liberal or conservative, who supports amnesty or family reunification for illegal aliens. Historically I have always voted Democratic. Now I will vote only for those who take a hard line on illegal immigration by sealing our borders, penalizing employers who hire illegal aliens, deporting illegal aliens, denying education and non-emergency health care to illegal aliens, and backing a constitutional amendment to deny citizenship to children born of illegal aliens.

[killtheliars]

We should demand a trade, they get amnesty and the U.S gets full control and all profits from Mexico's oil fields.

[blazercoach1]

ImpeachNOW,

You're not ANGRY or anything are you? :)

How can you call this "Bush Amnesty"?? Did you even read the article? How about this part of it: "Democrats had pressed instead for guest workers to be permitted to stay and work indefinitely in the U.S."

By the way...I see Kennedy and Kyl referenced and I see Feinstein quoted. Seems pretty bi-partisan to me. Even if I don't fully like the agreement....I'll celebrate that they got SOMETHING done together.

[mikealford3]

peter776 I agree with you. INSANITY is the word for our current elected officials. NO THAT'S WRONG, STUPID, ---, ----. many other words that cannot be published. Every Congressman or woman who voted in favor of this should be removed from office. Goes without saying for the dumb-- in the White House.

[cathaleen]

The reason this was passed because the farmers were ******** they will have no farm workers if they deport the illegals back to Mexico.

[infidel_us]

We should demand a trade, they get amnesty and the U.S gets full control and all profits from Mexico's oil fields.

Posted by killtheliars at 02:09 PM : May 17, 2007

STILL NOT WORTH IT!! If Bush signs this, it's the kiss of death for the republican party. ImpeachNOW is right....we ARE being ill-served by our representatives!!!!

The time is coming for a new revolution!

[heyitsme_76]

BRAVO..!!!!!!!!!!!

This is your typical Congress having a bipartisan p*ss-pool party.. I'm wondering if DC Madam was invited to 'massage' each Congressman on the back while they signed this bill.. These bas*ards don't really care if we Americans will vote for them or not in 2008.. What really matters to them is these millions of illegal Mexicans sure will vote once become citizens.. And don't forget.. Nov 2008 is more than a year away, so by then, a few more millions will sneak into this country and claim citizenship by producing fake documents..

These folks multiply like insects, so by the year 2010, we might as well name this country United States of Illegal Latinos.. Its just a matter of time, folks, before Congress passes another law making it mandatory for all Americans to learn Spanish..

[killtheliars]

patriot 75
so do you feel that the illegals should be entitled to free healthcare, education srevices, food stamps ect?
If so explain to me why i should work 50+ hrs a week and pay health insurance premiums and taxes when they don't have to but get better benifits then my family and i do?

[trillion1]

This country was built by LEGAL immigrants who came here, learned the language and became Americans. Not the illegal ignorant, third world trash we have now.
I just e-mailed our senators and said we would not vote for anyone that supports the selling out of the American taxpayer.

[cathaleen]

Send them up to Cape Cod to Kennedy's house.

[tbweb]

Any immigration legislation or law is a joke anyway without secure borders and everybody knows it. Mexicans are here in the U.S. to stay and there really is no practical way to deport 12 million plus people, the problem really is too large to fix. If the U.S. border was secure and businesses, schools, services and the church were all on the same page and serious, the illegal immigrant issue would be solved in no time, there would be no reason or way they could survive in the U.S., it would be impossible. But as long as there are profit minded businesses that can hire dirt cheap labor and don't need to pay benefits, workmans comp or worry about Unions this problem is here to stay. Illegal immigrants are a gold mine to business and business will always sneak and find a way to employ them! Sad but true.

[randalds]

Fantastic! While I'm not thrilled with it taking up to 13 years to become a citizen for these immigrants at least it can be as short as 8 years for those who've been here and employed the longest, so in the end it seems fair. The provision that the head of the household has to return to their country of origin should have a safety provision for people who's home country is too dangerous for that to happen or too far away, but still I'm sure that can be worked out.

All in all, not perfect, but certainly a huge step in the right direction at last!

[terrapin78]

I will be registering my views on this move with my US Senators and Congressman.

I suggest everyone else do the same.

[coffeehead-2009]

Patriot I'd go back to my roots in a snap -

but just like this PUTRID sick anti-american stance you and your ilk ARE --- my ancestors were starved off their land, it was stolen and their families decimated. My ancestors children were FORCED to throw away their culture, religion and LANGUAGE. They were tossed aside and their heritage shat on. All in the name of cheap labor, imperialism and greed. Yep I am from the Kings of Ireland (and not too far back). I think I would LOVE to give respect back to those who really valued their lineage and childrens future and the 4000 acres of prime land would be welcomed.

America was founded AGAINST everything this does. It rapes us of our jobs, history - culture and pride. It spits on american blood in reference for cheap labor and just more parasites sucking the sweat of my labor via welfare for food, education and health needs that my own kids are denied. Pat yourselves on the back and say asta lavista national heritage day and bring on the spanish celebrations -
Sad when your county has betrayed all that your ancestors worked to bring us away from. It's a vicious capitalistic peon cycle that I never thought i would witness in this flailing country.

[sugarmice-2009]

this is just great - why not just give amnesty to all those in prison and start all over again.
We need to get these people out of office NOW - we need to demand their resignation and IF any of these people are in office after the next election it is the fault of the AMERICANS for putting them there and their idiotic antics - what a bunch of chicken sh***t*s .. so afraid to stand up to these illegals - afraid they might tell their legal friends/family not to vote... time AMERICANS stood up for AMERICA and quit letting illegals and the Mexican president tell our elected politicians what to do.
Where are the vigilante groups and militia when you need them

[randalds]

These folks multiply like insects, so by the year 2010, we might as well name this country United States of Illegal Latinos.. Its just a matter of time, folks, before Congress passes another law making it mandatory for all Americans to learn Spanish..
Posted by heyitsme_76 at 02:20 PM : May 17, 2007

"These folks multiply like insects"? Nothing like waving your racism out there for all to see is there? Besides even if you figured out a way to get rid of all of the illegals in the US now, by the year 2050 white people will no longer be the majority race, Hispanics will. The browning of America is going to happen no matter what people try to do to stop it, so get used to the idea. This is not a white run America any longer.

[terrapin78]

Send them to Crawford, Texa$$!!!!!!

And Kennebunkport, MAINE!!!!!!

[cathaleen]

What about the next 12 million that are on their
way here? What's going to stop them? Our minute men or border patrol. This is going to be one big joke.

[heyitsme_76]

FYI.. patriot75 is probably an illegal Latino who happens to know how to read/write English.. He's no patriot at all.. just a sc*m bag

[david_271-2009]

I love that line... This country was created by immigrants... That was a different time when no one was here... and they did it in a legal manner.. KEY WORD OF THE DAY LEGAL!!!... not a bunch of aliens who slime in under the cover of night...

and the best part... they say they want to be American... but during the marches and all that... whos flag do they have up... Not the American flag...

[killtheliars]

patriot 75
the taxes paid on a $5.00 hour do not cover the cost of the health care, education ect these people suck up. If we had endless resources I would have no problem with everyone coming here, but we do not.
I may have a nice house, 2 cars, and 4 tvs, but I earned them. Just because I have a nice standard of living does not mean 33% of my wages should go to taking care of people who should not even be here.
Also the point of trash in the park is a valid one. It is hard to get people who have lived in squalid conditions to change their habits once they move to nicer places. It is not fair to people who have been there for generations and kept things nice to have to put up with that.

[louphoenix]

I think that the point system is a fair way to control who is worthy of staying in our country. Although i'm all for legal and controlled immigration, we should be the ones deciding who gets to stay, not the illegal masses. In other words, if we need farm workers, then we'll allow farm workers to come in. Likewise, if we need engineers, we'll allow them to come in.

English and a clean criminal record should always be 'no-brainer' requirements for allowing legal immigrants to stay in our country.

[randalds]

I love that line... This country was created by immigrants... That was a different time when no one was here... and they did it in a legal manner.. KEY WORD OF THE DAY LEGAL!!!... not a bunch of aliens who slime in under the cover of night...

and the best part... they say they want to be American... but during the marches and all that... whos flag do they have up... Not the American flag...


Posted by david_271 at 02:34 PM : May 17, 2007

I love that line...That was a different time when there was no one here...lol!!! There millions of people here in the Northern hemisphere when the white people arrived. I would assume you mean no one here except for those we had to slaughter to make it ours...right?

[infidel_us]

This is not a white run America any longer.
Posted by RandalDS at 02:31 PM : May 17, 2007

Does that ease your guilty, liberal conscience? Blacks have been in this country for hundreds of years and they only make up about 15% of the population.

It isn't signed, yet!! There will be an outcry from America that politicians won't be able to ignore!

I just tried to write my Senator and the website is DOWN! I can only imagine that it is being bombarded.

[sugarmice-2009]

and if anyone out there hasn't had to deal with illegals - come to California - you are lucky you can shop in a mall and find someone who speaks decent english. go to the emergency room with a REAL emergency - see how long you have to wait because 20 mexicans are there for one kid who has a runny nose... a friend of mine is only 40 yrs old and has been taking care of her mother for 6 years now... by herself. She makes $12 an hour and gets no benefits from the company she works for - she tried to get government help so she could afford the $1200 rent on a 1 bedroom /1 bath house (mother has the bedroom - daughter sleeps on the pull out couch) and what was she told - you make too much money YET you see all the illegals walking around with $150 Nikis and $200 sports jackets and using food stamps to buy food for 3 families... does anyone see a problem here?
Like I said - time to round these people up - ignor the governments wishes - and take matters into our own hands and show these fleas that we mean business.. get the h*lllll out of OUR country -

[nikontom]

Not enforceable. How can practical enforcement of this "overhaul" be achieved? Recent history has shown the sheer numbers make it nigh on to impossible. How many of the 12 million are going to voluntarily "step forward", gain a "Z" and pay out 5 grand? Surely, they jest.

[cbslogin12]

Calling anyone who is against ILLEGAL immigration haters or bigots is pathetic. Calling us names demonstrates that you have no real arguments to support your position.

This is not an issue about anything other than the FACT that ILLEGALS have broken our laws and now demand to be given jobs, assistance, free education, health care and citizenship.

If they want to come to this country, they should do it LEGALLY. After all, American citizens are required to obey the law, why not non-citizens?

[randalds]

Posted by killtheliars at 02:36 PM : May 17, 2007

The vast majority of illegals don't work for $5.00 per hour. Many of them have decent homes and businesses that employ other people (yes even legal Americans). People here seem to be stuck on the stereotype that they're all day workers hanging out at Home Depot, when nothing could be further from the truth. That's a tiny percentage of them. Many have been here for decades and certainly do pay their fair share of taxes. Oh and your 33% of your pay is going to fund Bush's insane war, not to pay for illegals.

[sugarmice-2009]

it's time we demand we are not going to press 1 for English because ENGLISH is the language of AMERICA - ya all talk english until we confront you about a problem and then all of a sudden it's no habla english... yea right.. speak it only for your convenience - and I'm tired of $40 million dollars each year being sent to mexico for families here when our own country is in a financial turmoil....
I will repeat myself . GET THE H**LLLL OUT OF OUR COUNTRY

[coffeehead-2009]

That study found that, %u201CIn the short term, today%u2019s immigrants impose costs on some state and local governments by using more in government services than they pay in taxes%u2026 In some states, this burden can be substantial: In California, for example, the panel calculates an additional annual tax burden of $1,178 per household headed by a U.S. native.%u201D

In the past two years, FAIR has issued fiscal cost studies for California, Arizona, Texas and Florida looking at the same cost factors studied by the Urban Institute 10 years earlier, i.e., education3, emergency medical care and incarceration. Our findings of the annual net fiscal costs were:

California $8.8 billion ($1,183 per native household)
Arizona
$1.03 billion ($717 per native household)

Texas
$3.73 billion ($725 per native household)

Florida4 $.91 billion ($315 per native household)

These studies were done in 2004 and 2005, and the rapid continuing increase in the illegal immigrant population in each of these states would result in higher estimates of the fiscal cost today.

http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_localcosts

[randalds]

Posted by sugarmice at 02:38 PM : May 17, 2007

I live in California, Los Angeles actually (A Spanish name you might notice, like most other older city names in CA, since they used to own this state before we stole it from them) and I haven't seen any of the problems you're making up and/or exaggerating to try to make your case. It simply is not like how you describe here.

[coffeehead-2009]

Heritage Foundation researcher testified yesterday that the average illegal immigrant family (as well as low-skilled legal immigrant family) receives about $20,000 in benefits more than they pay in taxes, resulting in an average lifetime net loss to American taxpayers of $1.2 MILLION. He makes the point that, while supporters of illegal immigration say low-cost workers help the economy, the reality is that the businesses get the cheap labor, but taxpayers pay far more for those workers. It's a redistribution of money from taxpayers to both business owners and the relatives of immigrants abroad. Obviously we need to bring in far more H1B visa workers (high-skilled) -- who pay far more in taxes compared to the benefits received -- and allow far fewer illegal and other low-skilled immigrants. The current cap on high-skilled workers (many of whom head to Silicon Valley) is 65,000 -- an annual quota reached this year in ONE DAY. Illegal immigrants come every day, and currently number between 12 and 20 MILLION

[randalds]

Heritage Foundation researcher testified yesterday that the average illegal immigrant family (as well as low-skilled legal immigrant family) receives about $20,000 in benefits more than they pay in taxes, resulting in an average lifetime net loss to American taxpayers of $1.2 MILLION.

Posted by coffeehead at 02:47 PM : May 17, 2007

The Heritage Foundation? Oh come on! Why not just quote the head of the Minutemen or the KKK for as biased as they are? They couldn't be any more conservative and anti-immigration if they changed their name to "The Lou Dobbs, We Hate Brown People Foundation".

[sugarmice-2009]

if i'm not mistaken california was BOUGHT from mexico and if you want to go back then ENGLAND still owns us.. so why aren't the Brits sneaking in ...

[mr_sluggo1]

Yeah, send all the Mexicans home so there is no one left to pick the crops and we all starve. Americans are too lazy to take these labor intensive jobs.

By the way, agriculture is not unskilled labor. That's why no one has invented a machine that examines each plant or tree and takes the appropriate action.

[palo2005]

What part of Illegal does the Senat not understand. Send them back.

[infidel_us]

"The Lou Dobbs, We Hate Brown People Foundation".
Posted by RandalDS at 02:50 PM : May 17, 2007

Right. If it doesn't come from Soros, the daily koz, or Rosie O'Lardass, Randy doesn't buy it.

When RandalDS finally 'offs' himself to atone for the sins of his past and white guilt, we'll get on with the business of trying to keep our country from turning socialist.

[cathaleen]

Will they have to learn English?

[sugarmice-2009]

LA has alot of problems due to illegals...
you must be of mexican decent because if you don't think LA has problems with illegals, think again - OH and I live in california also and the problem is statewide and anyone who can't admit that there is surge of illegals daily coming into this country and preying on the hard working class (including legal mexicans) need to open up your eyes, move out of hollywood and your $3.5 million dollar home and try to make it on $15 an hour with no benefits because your company can't afford to pay for insurance benefits - our company carries worker's comp only AND if we want insurance we have to pay for it - and it's not cheap.
go to mexico and see what kind of treat ment you get if they find you entered the country illegally... you are imprisoned for years and good luck there - you'd be better off dead.
The only reason they want us there are for the dollars you spend... no other reason... if you tried to live there and get financial help and aren't a citizen you would be laughed back here

[randalds]

if i'm not mistaken california was BOUGHT from mexico and if you want to go back then ENGLAND still owns us.. so why aren't the Brits sneaking in ...
Posted by sugarmice at 02:51 PM : May 17, 2007

It was "bought" as part of 500,000 square miles for a paltry $15 million while the US army held a gun to Mexico's head and demanded that they sell it. It was a "offer they couldn't refuse". It was part of President Polk's belief in "Manifest Destiny". He's insane belief that God had decided that white Americans were intended to take the entire Northern hemisphere for themselves. Sort of like the 19th century version of "spreading democracy" by whatever means necessary and even if you have to slaughter the people already there. Sound familiar?

[tbweb]

nikontom wrote:

Not enforceable. How can practical enforcement of this "overhaul" be achieved? Recent history has shown the sheer numbers make it nigh on to impossible. How many of the 12 million are going to voluntarily "step forward", gain a "Z" and pay out 5 grand? Surely, they jest.
Posted by nikontom at 02:39 PM : May 17, 2007

--nikontom

Not only are they not going to pay the $5000.00 fine, but all they are really looking for is not being picked up, locked up and deported, many don't even want citizenship or legal status, they just want to stay in the U.S. and not have to worry about being picked up. The real joke is once an illegal becomes legal, they will want better wages and then the new illegals will take their jobs and the legals will be out and the cycle and madness continues unabated! The best status to be in and get work is the illegal status because you don't care and the business don't care, if you get hurt they can claim they don't know you! All these illegals care about is not being picked up and deported and this new legislation grants that indirectly.

[infidel_us]

Will they have to learn English?
Posted by cathaleen at 02:58 PM : May 17, 2007

I'm guessing....NO.

[infidel_us]

Sound familiar?
Posted by RandalDS at 03:00 PM : May 17, 2007

It does. It sounds like.....a whining, bedwetting liberal who hates Amrica. Hey Randy, I think the Peace Corps is looking for a few good men for duty in the Philippines. They seem to have misplaced one.

[randalds]

Posted by sugarmice at 02:59 PM : May 17, 2007

I'm about as white as white can get. I couldn't be more white if my name was Whitey McWhiteman. I live in Hollywood (which has no multi-million dollar homes and no movie stars either) and travel all over the city and I just don't see the problems you talk about. The vast majority of illegals I know are good decent hardworking folks who are just looking for the same things my family was looking for when they came here in the early 1900, a good job, a decent place to live and a good place to raise their familes.

I also go to Mexico at least a few times a year (Acapulco, Zihuatanejo, etc.) and they treat my wife and I wonderfully and we're looking forward to retiring there in a few more years, as many, many, many Americans are now, because they treat us wonderfully.