Senators White House Announcement On Immigration Deal-2007?

May 18-2007:

Attention:

These new proposals does not take into account the P.R.U.C.O.L or un-documented residents, many of whom are HIV infected and accessing Medicaid, and other much needed medication to help us cope with the HIV virus.

Plus, if they are supposed to pay $5,000 US dollars (as indicated in these proposals). Where are they going to get that money from, if they are not allowed to work LEGALLY, and is solely dependent on Public Assistance and Housing Facilities from the City and State?

These are the concerns that I feel must be addressed urgently, and clarified in any future amendments to the current proposals that are on the table, by Advocates and The US House representatives alike.

Sincerely,
Derryck S. Griffith.
New York City.
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Senators-White House announce immigration deal-2007:

By Associated Press
Thursday, May-17-2007 -
Updated: 04:48 PM EST

WASHINGTON - The White House and key senators in both parties announced agreement Thursday on an immigration overhaul that would grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. It would also fortify the border.

Immigration reform:

President Bush said the proposal would "help enforce our borders but equally importantly, it’ll treat people with respect." "This is a bill where people who live here in our country will be treated without amnesty but without animosity," Bush said. The compromise came after weeks of closed-door negotiations that brought the most liberal Democrats and the most conservative Republicans on immigration issues together with Bush’s Cabinet officers to produce a highly complex measure that carries heavy political consequences. It still faces a long legislative struggle and its passage by the Senate or House is far from assured.

The plan would create a temporary worker program to bring new arrivals to the U.S and a separate program to cover agricultural workers. Skills and education level would for the first time be weighted more heavily than family connections in deciding whether immigrants should get permanent legal status. New high-tech employment verification measures would make sure that workers are here legally. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, his party’s lead negotiator on the deal, 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."

Anticipating criticism from conservatives, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said, "It is not amnesty. This will restore the rule of law." The accord sets the stage for what promises to be a bruising battle next week in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called the proposal a "starting point" for that debate and said the measure needs 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 in a statement.

The breakthrough came when negotiators struck a bargain on a so-called "point system" that prioritizes immigrants’ education and skill level over family connections in deciding how to award green cards.
The immigration issue also divides both parties in the House, which isn’t expected to act unless the

Senate passes a bill first.

The proposed agreement would allow illegal immigrants to come forward and obtain a "Z visa" and - after paying fees and a $5,000 fine - ultimately get on track for permanent residency, which could take between eight and 13 years. Heads of household would have to return to their home countries first.

They could come forward right away to claim a probationary card that would let them live and work legally in the U.S., but could not begin the path to permanent residency or citizenship until border security improvements and the high-tech worker identification program were completed.

A new temporary guest worker program would also have to wait until those so-called "triggers" had been activated. Those workers would have to return home after work stints of two years, with little opportunity to gain permanent legal status or ever become U.S. citizens. They could renew their guest worker visas twice, but would be required to leave for a year in between each time.

Democrats had pressed instead for guest workers to be permitted to stay and work indefinitely in the U.S. In perhaps the most hotly debated change, the proposed plan would shift from an immigration system primarily weighted toward family ties toward one with preferences for people with advanced degrees and sophisticated skills. Republicans have long sought such revisions, which they say are needed to end "chain migration" that harms the economy, while some Democrats and liberal groups say it’s an unfair system that rips families apart.

Family connections alone would no longer be enough to qualify for a green card - except for spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens.
New limits would apply to U.S. citizens seeking to bring foreign-born parents into the country.

© Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

HIAS Calls for The Firing Of Lou Dobbs-CNN Anchor?

HIAS In The News:

HIAS Calls for CNN to Fire Lou Dobbs After Comparisons to Nazis Apr 27-2007!

New York City – HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, which has helped more than 4.5 million people in its 125-year history, is calling for the dismissal of Lou Dobbs, the CNN personality, who on Monday suggested that immigrant rights groups use propaganda tactics reminiscent of the Third Reich.

"Comparisons to Nazis – especially in this day and age – are abhorrent," said Gideon Aronoff, president and CEO of HIAS. "Mr. Dobbs has crossed the line between responsible television commentary and hate speech propaganda of his own. Keeping him on the air is essentially sanctioning by CNN which is why we’re asking CNN to remove Dobbs from his very public platform."

Referring to immigration advocates and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Dobbs said, "They might as well work for Hermann Goering; I mean, they’re running so much propaganda, trying to confuse the debate, the national dialogue, by talking about immigrants rather than illegal aliens and legal immigrants.

It’s mindless beyond belief." (It is not clear whether Dobbs actually meant Nazi propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, rather than Goering – who was actually commander of the Nazi Air Force – the Luftwaffe – and who was the highest ranking government official who issued written authorization for the Holocaust) In a weekend speech, Mayor Newsom reiterated San Francisco’s policy of not assisting federal officials with immigration-related raids.

Aronoff says the Jewish community should be particularly concerned about Mr. Dobb’s comments. "Comprehensive immigration reform should involve a civil, national conversation that includes the American people and professionals who actually work with refugees, asylum-seekers and immigrants; make policy, or both – not dominated by TV blowhards, whose raison d’etre is entertainment.

Setting himself up as an arbiter of common sense may make for amusing television, but it is insulting to the serious matter of immigration reform."