House Republicans Get Tough with Illegal Immigration

[Frodo]

House Poised to Approve Tough Border Security Measure

By RACHEL L. SWARNS
Published: December 13, 2005

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- House Republicans are poised this week to pass one of the toughest border security proposals in more than a decade, cracking down on illegal immigrants and their employers and rejecting President Bush's call for a comprehensive bill that would let millions of undocumented immigrants work legally in the United States.

The measure would, for the first time, make it a federal crime to live in the United States illegally, transforming millions of immigrants in this country into felons ineligible for converting to any legal status in the United States. Currently, living in this country without a visa, work permit, green card or other appropriate document is a violation of civil immigration law, not criminal law.

The bill also broadens the statute designed to combat immigrant smuggling to include people who shield, harbor or offer support to illegal immigrants, like employees of social service agencies and church groups, as well as those who house or transport illegal immigrants. Violators could face up to five years in prison.

The legislation would require the mandatory detention of immigrants other than Mexicans who are entering the United States illegally, increase funds for local sheriffs in border states to allow them to detain illegal immigrants and toughen penalties for employers who hire them.

The proposal, which would require the Department of Homeland Security to greatly expand a fledgling system intended to verify the immigration status of all the nation's employees, has been hailed by many conservatives in Congress as vital to combat illegal immigration and tighten the nation's border with Mexico. It is expected to go up for a vote on Thursday.

link

[TheresNoMoney]

Sounds good, although Bush and his administration would never allow it.

[AkSaber]

Hmmm. I wonder when a nice, big sturdy fence will be built there.

[Frodo]

Hmmm. I wonder when a nice, big sturdy fence will be built there.

A fence is next to useless when you have illegals digging tunnels underneath it.   

[AkSaber]

A fence is next to useless when you have illegals digging tunnels underneath it.   

Tunnels?! Egad. Bunker-buster bombs anyone?

[Frodo]

How exactly is this fence going to be built, BTW?  Will it include concrete foundations that reach deep into the earth to discourage zealous illegals from attemping to enter the country by burrowing into it? 

[AkSaber]

A tall fence, like 30 or 50 feet tall, and bases that go down like 20 feet. And there are shiny gizmos which can be buried that can detect vibrations in the ground when someone tries to dig.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

A tall fence, like 30 or 50 feet tall, and bases that go down like 20 feet. And there are shiny gizmos which can be buried that can detect vibrations in the ground when someone tries to dig.

Worried about those hordes of Yukoners?

[AkSaber]

A tall fence, like 30 or 50 feet tall, and bases that go down like 20 feet. And there are shiny gizmos which can be buried that can detect vibrations in the ground when someone tries to dig.

Worried about those hordes of Yukoners?

LMAO!!!! I don't know why that made me laugh so hard.

[MODU]

The bill is a step in the right direction.

[Bono]

Good move, though Bush knows he needs immigrants to fund his borrow and spend politics.

[opebo]

Good move, though Bush knows he needs immigrants to fund his borrow and spend politics.

Well, that makes some sense, though it is only a marginal effect. 

The real problem with this is it interferes with the profits of the class which is Bush's primary constitutency.

[CARLHAYDEN]

House Poised to Approve Tough Border Security Measure

By RACHEL L. SWARNS
Published: December 13, 2005

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- House Republicans are poised this week to pass one of the toughest border security proposals in more than a decade, cracking down on illegal immigrants and their employers and rejecting President Bush's call for a comprehensive bill that would let millions of undocumented immigrants work legally in the United States.

The measure would, for the first time, make it a federal crime to live in the United States illegally, transforming millions of immigrants in this country into felons ineligible for converting to any legal status in the United States. Currently, living in this country without a visa, work permit, green card or other appropriate document is a violation of civil immigration law, not criminal law.

The bill also broadens the statute designed to combat immigrant smuggling to include people who shield, harbor or offer support to illegal immigrants, like employees of social service agencies and church groups, as well as those who house or transport illegal immigrants. Violators could face up to five years in prison.

The legislation would require the mandatory detention of immigrants other than Mexicans who are entering the United States illegally, increase funds for local sheriffs in border states to allow them to detain illegal immigrants and toughen penalties for employers who hire them.

The proposal, which would require the Department of Homeland Security to greatly expand a fledgling system intended to verify the immigration status of all the nation's employees, has been hailed by many conservatives in Congress as vital to combat illegal immigration and tighten the nation's border with Mexico. It is expected to go up for a vote on Thursday.

link

I predicted this in the aftermath of the California special Congressional election.

[Virginian87]

Glad to see this is finally getting done.  The less illegals in this country, the better.  I'm still pissed that Herndon, Va. voted to build that waiting platform for day laborers, most of whom are illegal, last summer.

[MODU]

Glad to see this is finally getting done.  The less illegals in this country, the better.  I'm still pissed that Herndon, Va. voted to build that waiting platform for day laborers, most of whom are illegal, last summer.

It was open to the public today.  I have a friend who went down there this morning to try to get the names of the companies picking up the day laborors.  I wonder if he was successful. 

[Virginian87]

Glad to see this is finally getting done.  The less illegals in this country, the better.  I'm still pissed that Herndon, Va. voted to build that waiting platform for day laborers, most of whom are illegal, last summer.

It was open to the public today.  I have a friend who went down there this morning to try to get the names of the companies picking up the day laborors.  I wonder if he was successful. 

It's terrible though.  Herndon used to be a great place to live.  Now there are problems with Salvadoran and Guatemalan gangs running around town.  Same problem in Fairfax and it's starting to happen in Manassas too.  I didn't like Kilgore and didn't vote for him, but he hit the nail on the head when he described illegal immigration as a problem.  It's a shame this degradation is happening to small suburban towns across the country.  Take a look at Holyoke, Mass. for another example.  I sure as hell hope we don't get to the point when we start using bilingual signs.

[MODU]

Glad to see this is finally getting done.  The less illegals in this country, the better.  I'm still pissed that Herndon, Va. voted to build that waiting platform for day laborers, most of whom are illegal, last summer.

It was open to the public today.  I have a friend who went down there this morning to try to get the names of the companies picking up the day laborors.  I wonder if he was successful. 

It's terrible though.  Herndon used to be a great place to live.  Now there are problems with Salvadoran and Guatemalan gangs running around town.  Same problem in Fairfax and it's starting to happen in Manassas too.  I didn't like Kilgore and didn't vote for him, but he hit the nail on the head when he described illegal immigration as a problem.  It's a shame this degradation is happening to small suburban towns across the country.  Take a look at Holyoke, Mass. for another example.  I sure as hell hope we don't get to the point when we start using bilingual signs.

That's why I'm hoping my friend and his group will create some political backlash regarding this facility.  If there is enough local uproar, it might make the national news.

[opebo]

Virginian, MODU, your objection to these immigrants is blatantly racist.  Would you worry about your lilly-white towns if illegal Englishmen were moving in?  Or if perfectly legal African-Americans?

Certainly the only reason these people would be any 'trouble' would be if they are being underpaid - which is of course the condition of a large part of the working class in America, legal or illegal.

[MODU]

Virginian, MODU, your objection to these immigrants is blatantly racist.  Would you worry about your lilly-white towns if illegal Englishmen were moving in?  Or if perfectly legal African-Americans?

Certainly the only reason these people would be any 'trouble' would be if they are being underpaid - which is of course the condition of a large part of the working class in America, legal or illegal.

HAHAHA . . . you've been hanging out with Miss Catholic too much.  It has nothing to do with race.  Anyone who is here illegal should be sent back to their home country.  Those caught hiring illegals should be punished.  I'm sorry you consider that to be racist.