New Immigration Deal Reached
Lawmakers in Washington have reached an agreement on immigration. They have a new plan to grant quick legal status to millions of people, but with big conditions attached.
The key breakthrough came when negotiators struck a bargain on a "point system" that would for the first time prioritize immigrants’ education and skill level over family connections in deciding how to award green cards.
The proposal would allow illegal immigrants to come forward and obtain a "Z visa." The illegal immigrants would then pay fees and a $5,000 but would be on track for permanent residency.
Another stipulation is that illegal immigrants who are heads of household would have to return to their home countries and then apply for probationary cards. They would begin the path to permanent residency after border security improvements and a high-tech worker identification program were completed.
It’s a complicated agreement but lawmakers on both sides are hopeful. Are you? Do you agree with the stipulations? Share your thoughts, concerns and reactions on the IMMIGRATION BLOG:
Categories: Politics
May 17th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
I don’t know enough details about this particular agreement (time will cure that, I’m sure) but I definitely feel we need to find a compromise that will allow the people who have been able to come into our Country to remain here while working towards a legal status.
Our Government is just as guilty for fostering an environment where illegal entry was possible and tolerated, and thus is equally reponsible for the situation. However, I most assuredly believe we need to eliminate the right for an illegal immigrant to give birth to a child who is then automatically declared a citizen.
May 17th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
send ‘em back
not enough for us Americans
May 17th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
a rose is a rose and amnesty is still amnesty by any other name. Congress has shown that crime does pay. The immigration reform bill grants legal status to millions of illegals already in the US.Senator Reid states,”immigration laws should be firmly enforced.” Then he remarks, “I believe enforcement alone has not worked.” “I do not believe it is practical to deport an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants.” It seems law enforcement and deportation are questionable solutions. Recall that there was justification for illegals, because they would take jobs that Americans wouldn’t. The new spin is that there will be a premium placed on education and job skills on future immigrants This will pace them in direct competition for jobs with American workers. Maybe we won’t have to send jobs to foreign countries, foreign workers can come here and compete. Control of the border will be reclaimed by adding new border patrol agents and strengthening the fence. Past experiences assures us that will work. Illegal immigrants here in the US will be fined, learn english and assimilate into American society. I don’t know who these politicians represent once they are elected, cetainly not the will of the majority of people.
May 17th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
I feel there needs to be some immigration reform. The United States has allowed these illegal immigrants to remain in this country for so many years and now they want to grant them legal status by paying some fees and doing background checks, what on earth are these lawmakers thinking!
Many people now serving in the military are stationed over seas and many children are born in other countries and are not listed as citizens of that country because they are born there they are still listed as citizens of the United States, so why is it that the hispanic women can have children in the United States and they are automatically given citizenship?
I think immigration reform has a long way to go but the reform needs to start with them returning to Mexico and gaining citizensip the legal way. What they are attempting to implement is very confusing and the many illegals will not be able to understand the process.
In closing, there are many people here illegally and stand on street corners, in front of nurseries and home improvment stores looking for under the table work. Where is ICE when this is going on?
May 17th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
IT’S A SAD DAY INDEED FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA — A DAY THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY . . . THE NEW AMBASSADOR FROM MEXICO THREE MONTHS AGO PREDICTED THAT EVEN WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL AND PRESIDENTIAL PUSH TOWARD ” LEGALIZATION STATUS “, MEXICANS AND OTHERS WILL CONTINUE TO USE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER TO ILLEGALLY CROSS OVER TO THE STATES. ABOUT FIFTY YEARS FROM NOW I PREDICT THAT HALF OF THE POPULATION OF THE COUNTRY OF MEXICO WILL END UP IN AMERICA. GOD HAVE MERCY ON US. THE ONCE GREAT U.S.A. WILL SLIDE DOWN INTO A THIRD WORLD STATUS WHERE THERE ARE ONLY THE RICH AND THE POOR. THE MIDDLE CLASS WILL DISAPPEAR. THE ONLY SOLUTION NOW IS TO SHUT DOWN THE BORDER AND FOR THE U.S ATTORNEYS TO STOP PROSECUTING U.S. BORDER PATROLMEN FOR MANSLAUGHTER WHEN TRYING TO DO THEIR JOB,
May 17th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Immigration in U.S cannot be more hypocritical. Workers who come to U.S legally wait upto 10 years to get citizenship whereas ones that cross our borders illegally break-in get immediate citizenship. I have most of my family outside the U.S, why not ask them to walk the desert via Mexico. Where is the fairness in all this?!
Let me put this in perspective – if someone broke into your house, would you use all arms and force to push them out of your house _OR_ are you going to add their name to the title of your house? Same thing with Citizenship, you are giving these crooks ownership in this country. Think about it.
Sanj Sukerkar
May 17th, 2007 at 11:51 pm
Come on America….didn’t we give legal citizenship to illegals about 10-15 years ago? And then we were going to shut the border down….well looks like it didn’t work. Now again we are looking to give another 10-15 Million illegals citizenship and close the borders. Do you really think this is going to work? It worked soooo well the first time. It is time to send them back, if an illegal citizen has a child, that child should not be given immediate citizenship. Let’s all try going to Mexico, tax their medical centers, vote, get free food, free medical, free welfare and everything else that they have worked for. Do you really think they would allow that? But hey…come to the U.S. and we’ll just open our arms to you. IT IS TIME TO STOP!!!!! I have worked and paid taxes for the benefits this country has and it really upsets me that we are so willing to give it to illegals. We voted our congressmen into office to speak for us NOT the illegals. It is time they listen to us. Look at the comments…do we see a trend here?
May 18th, 2007 at 8:14 am
i think it it to many in amarica and it is starting to take over we can’t even drive in our own town or shop without them running over us, well at lease give them a medical phyical and a back groung check. most of them or sex afenders any ways. feloney have to have a back ground check to even get a job…and we are americans
May 18th, 2007 at 10:30 am
When we close the border, it is close. When I tell my child that they can not go outside that is the end of it. US please just close the border for a period of time. I know for certain the problems we having now will go away to a solution. Pretty words and references to the constitution is not the solution. Standing up to what our nation is about is very important regardless what’s the issue.
May 19th, 2007 at 1:56 am
We are being sold down the darn. The laws are only for Americans, if you went to Mexico, had our babies they would shot us or put us imprison. If we sold drug or ran them across the border we would again be in prison. Try to buy land in Mexico, surprise, surprise you can’t but we should allow all this here! If they get killed here in a car accident, blown up, gang fights, we in the US will donate money to send them back to Mexico to be buried, because all they wanted was to earn a living for there families here, truth be known think that’s why most of us are in Nevada for those same reasons, gee do you think everyone should take up a collection to send us all back home to be buried!! We use to be a country of laws, now if you break them you will be reworded sham on all those people waiting to get in here legally!!! All the people that are illegal think they should be legal because their children were born here, now their children say they were brought here agents there will & can’t go to collage so we now should pay for that also, guess welfare, free medical, k-12 grade wasn’t enough, of course more then half American only get that for an education if there lucky! We sure have a lot of Pairs Hiltons in government it not for the people or by the people any more, & it doesn’t matter what party your talking about they all stink to high haven.
May 20th, 2007 at 8:58 am
Well it looks like the decline of our country will continue unabated by the current President and politicians. Nothing changes with this new proposed law. In fact, the word is out now world wide ‘come to the U.S. as soon as you can to automatically become a U.S. citizen just by showing up.’ How long will the actual taxpaying citizens pay the medical and educational bills of these illegals. Eventually it will all come to a head, as infections do, and the lawful Americans will clean out the pus these illegals represent. You would think the ones that are here now would not want any more arrivals to further diminish wages and benefits. They’re not that smart. Infections just run rampant until quelled by antibiotics. What will be the new antibiotics? Probably the middle class as always, violently taking the law in their own hands to repel the invaders. If not, ‘goodbye to the America we once knew and loved.’
May 31st, 2007 at 1:50 pm
Very few things offend me or even drive me to comment on blogs however it is apparent that someone needs to say something. Do people not realize what an American is? How did “America” really begin? If you are not of Native American desent then you or your families were immigrants. Immigrants who came to this land to escape persecution, dictators, tyrants and poverty. They all came here in search of a new free life for themselves and their families. The majority of immigrants do not come here with their hands outs expecting everyone else to take care of them. There are numerous “Americans” who have their hands out, who live on welfare and yet are perfectly capable of working. How much time will be wasted on blame and opinions instead of constructively utilizing time to find a productive solution? Yes there should be reform, rules and regulations but in a manner that fits America.
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Never forget what an American is.
June 7th, 2007 at 9:14 am
As a staff assistant I can not even get a job because I don’t not speak spanish… I speak the language that most US Americans were taught. Our literature, road signs, and most 99% of our packaging is printed in spanish, not forcing/or encouraging the hispanic population to adapt to our language. Why should I have to speak spanish to work in America?
June 13th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
This kind of political sell out is going to ruin the United States. Our politicians must be voted out of office since they no longer hold the interests of the true American Citizens in this country.
Mexicans and South Americans continue running here to the U.S. illegally and then expect us to pay for their education, medical bills and who knows what else is — IT’S LUDICROUS!!
They have already taken many jobs that American Citizens USED to have but now can’t even afford because these illegals are driving down our wages.
MR. PRESIDENT, SENATOR REID and the rest of CONGRESS…READ MY LIPS…YOU WILL BE VOTED OUT OF OFFICE if you refuse to listen to the American Citizens and pass this type of Immigration reform (Bill S.1348).
DO YOUR JOB! UPHOLD CURRENT LAWS! NO To Bill S.1348 with or without amendments!
June 15th, 2007 at 10:47 am
I am very disappointed in our government on handling this. I know a friend who was here on a work visa and when he didn’t have his pizza shop anymore he couldn’t get a new visa to come back from france and you want to let all these illegal mexicans stay here and get jobs cause they are willing to work for less than any one else would at that job. They are hurting our economy since more than half of them are getting welfare and foodstamps and medical and cash assistance. If you do not believe me then go into any welfare office here in town and look at those sitting in the room. Oh yeah they have WIC too since they keep popping out one kid after another so they can get even more from welfare. They should not be able to get any help unless they are complete citizens of the united states and they must be able to understand english and the signs on the road. Most of them can’t spek english let alone read it and they are the worst drivers due to that. They do not understand speed limit school zones and I know that because I have been behind them while they were driving the school zone speed limit but it is only when the lights are flashing but they can’t read that so they just do it all the time. They also drive vehicles that are so old they are falling apart and I can’t believe they get to drive half of those rusted out old buckets. I think they should have to have them inspected before they can put them out on our highways. I happened to get a couple of tires from one of their shops and lwhen I went out on the freeway my car was shaking really bad so I went back and they said oh it cost more to have them spin balanced. Why wasn’t it done or said to me while I was in there and getting them put on…hello…who operates a business that way? Isn’t that dangerous and hazardous to my health and everyone else on the road with me? Is it legal for them to put tires on your car and not balance them first before putting them on? Send them all back and make them do it the right way or no staying here. They should all be sent back. It will help our economy if we do and get them off our welfare systems for good. Our unemployment rates will go way down and so will the welfare systems cost. It is time for our government to get tough and do what is right and the smartest thing to do. Why are they trying to be so leinent on them, they are a menace to our society so get rid of them. It’s time to make a real stand on illegal immigrants once and for all. They don’t need to feel like they can get away with what they have and if this would have been done a long time ago there wouldn’t be so many to send back now. Quit pussy footin around and get off you duffs and do the right thing for all LEGAL AMERICANS.
June 15th, 2007 at 11:14 am
Also now that I see it eslEwhere in here. It is very true about trying to get a job unless you speak spanish. This is total bull…. I can’t believe that I am expected to have to learn spanish in order to get a job in the USA, but if you look at our own Las Vegas Review Journal, the proof it right there in the job listings….must speak spanish. Then to top it off I got a mailer in my mailbox for the surrounding grocery stores and one of them was all in spanish. More and more things are coming out in spanish. I am an AMERICAN…BORN AND RAISED IN THE USA AND I WILL NOT BE FORCED TO SPEAK SPANISH TO GET A JOB. I AM NOW DISABLED SO I WON’T BE GETTING A JOB BUT THAT DOESN’T STOP ME FROM CARING ABOUT THE LEADERS DOING THE ONLY TRUE AND RIGHT POLITICAL MOVE AND THAT IS TO SEND THEM ALL BACK LOCK STOCK AND BARREL. GET SOME BALLS AND QUIT KISSING SOMEONES ASS! WE NEED NEW LEADERS AND I WISH I COULD RUN FOR OFFICE CAUSE I WOULD NEVER BE A SELL OUT FOR ANYTHING! THERE ARE NO AMENDMENTS TO THE BORDER LAWS GOVERNING OUR COUNTRY, IT IS IN BLACK AND WHITE AND THAT IS WHAT IT MEANS AND NOTHING ELSE. WE DO NOT NEED THEM HERE AND LIKE I SAID IN THE OTHER ONE, OUR ECONOMY NEEDS THEM GONE AND SO DOES OUR UNEMPLOYMENT, AND WELFARE AND MEDICAL SUPPLIERS. WE WILL ONLY BE BETTER OFF AND YOU KNOW THAT IS TRUE SO WHY Can’t you just do the right thing for once in your lives. I am begining to think that our politians are a complete joke and are all crooks. More and more of them are ending up in court for doing some illegal act so maybe we need to oust them all and get things set straight so the rest of us can have the AMMERICAN DREAM WE DESERVE TO HAVE! I DO NOT KNOW HOW OUR YOUNG KIDS ARE EXPECTED TO BUY A 300K HOME AND 50K VEHICLES AND ALL TO HAVE THE AMERICAN DREAM SINCE THOSE WHO RUN OUR CITY BECAME CROOKS AND LET THEM RUN EVERYTHING UP SO HIGH IT IS NOW OUT OF REACH FOR THE MAJORITY OF OUR CITIZENS. JUST HOW DO YOU EXPECT A PERSON MAKING 6 BUCKS AN HOUR TO EVEN BEGIN TO BUY A HOME? YOU FORGOT ABOUT THEM WHO RUN EVERYTHING AND CLEAN EVERYTHING. I GUESS YOU WANT THEM TO LIVE IN CARDBOARD BOXES ON THE STREET! AND THEN YOU WANT TO KEEP THE ILLEGALS AND LET THEM LIVE IN THE STREETS OR IN THEIR CARS OR UNDER TRAILERS. YES UNDER TRAILERS. THEY KEPT TRYING TO DO THAT WHEN I WORKED AT THE PRIMMADONNA YEARS AGO BEFORE THEY GOT RID OF THE TRAILERS AND BUILT BUFFALO BILLS ON THAT PIECE OF LAND. SEND THEM ALL BACK..THIS IS AN OUTRQAGE TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE REPRESENTING US REMEMBER!
June 27th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
I would like to know why the kids of these illegals are being sent to college all expenses paid when they can’t even speak English!! My own grand-daughter can’t go to college for free. Why are we giving this country to the Mexicans that haven’t even earned it? We’re giving them everything that we who were born here can’t even get. Entitlements, houses, loans, cars, college, businesses. Everything! This is the United State of American but I’ll be willing to bet that within 10 years it will be the United States of Mexico. Are the classes at UNLV now in Spanish? Americans are being showed into poverty because of what this country is doing for the illegals.
July 5th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Any argument used to justify illegal immigration is simply baffling to me. Any comparison to those who immigrated here, waited in lines miles long to become a legal citizen, then did everything in thier power to become a part of the American system (learning the language, assimilating the dress and culture) is ludicrous.
In short, arguing with anyone who does’nt comprehend this would be a waste of your tax paying breath.
September 12th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
This whole immigration issue is just window dressing for politians’ popularity points – and a new income stream for the US government. For years we couldn’t do anything about illegal immigrants: phony green cards being sold openly at the local “swap meets,” and neither Metro or even the FBI dared get involved for fear of being sued for harassment or “profiling.” Now the pendulum has swung the complete opposite direction. People like my wife, who jumped through every legal hoop necessary to obtain 100% legal residency (and a PERMANENT green card that has NO EXPIRATION DATE) almost 30 years ago, have to go through a whole green card renewal process – at a cost of between $400 and $600 – just because the “powers that be” say so. And this time you can bet they won’t be so foolish as to issue any permanent cards . . . let’s keep those renewal fees comin’ in, boys!
June 11th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
IT’S VERY SIMPLE;
1. SUPPLY AND DEMAND. THE SURPLUS OF LABOR = NO BENEFITS AND LOW WAGES
2. WE ARE IN A NEVER-ENDING WAR WITH TERRORISTS. TO LEAVE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER OPEN IS TO INVITE TERRISTS INTO OUR COUNTRY WHO WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO ENTER OTHER WISE. OUR PORTS ARE ANOTHER ENTRY POINT THAT NEEDS CLOSING.
3. CLOSING OUR BORDERS IS THE MAIN WAY TO STOP ILLEGAL DROGS INTO OUR COUNTRY AND ALSO THE VIOLENCE THAT COMES WITH THEM.
September 29th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Every day I worry if Ill have work,if my company is going to cut my pay,or replace me with cheaper labor.Do Americas sons and daughters no longer deserve a shot at a good life.Are we really to accept our position in life is to live paycheck to paycheck just getting by, helping rich people get richer while the rest of us get pushed into the same low income way of life as people who choose not to work.Maybe we should all quit working get on welfare,section 8 housing and see how things are then!!