Immigration bill supporters beat back key change (LAT)

[Eugene]

Source: Los Angeles Times

Immigration bill supporters beat back key change

A measure to deny legal status to many undocumented immigrants
is killed, and Senate Democrats push for a vote by week's end.

By Maura Reynolds, Times Staff Writer
June 7, 2007

WASHINGTON — Supporters of a bipartisan immigration bill on Wednesday
rebuffed one of the most serious challenges so far, defeating a measure
that could have denied legalization to many illegal immigrants and moving
the complicated legislation a step closer to passage in the Senate.

Senate Democratic leaders, fearing an erosion of support for the bill
if debate drags on, are pushing for a final vote by the end of the week
or early next week. The bill would then move to the House, where it is
expected to face stiffer opposition.

-snip-

The defeated amendment, proposed by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas),
would have permanently barred many convicted felons — including sex
offenders, gang members and repeat drunk drivers — from qualifying to
become legal permanent residents.

Supporters of the bill said, however, the amendment was written so
loosely that it also would have barred those guilty of other felonies,
such as violating deportation orders or using false identification
documents. That, they said, would have applied to a huge number of
illegal immigrants.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-immig7jun07,1,5061340.story

[fasttense]

1. Oh god, save us from half-ass legislation. n/t

[Robson]

2. Do what it takes to enforce current immigration laws

"The defeated amendment, proposed by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas),
would have permanently barred many convicted felons — including sex
offenders, gang members and repeat drunk drivers — from qualifying to
become legal permanent residents."

That sounds like common sense to most people. We don't allow legal immigrants with criminal felons in our country, so why would we even allow illegal immigrants to be offered this amnesty? Our government needs to enforce current immigration laws and once citizens see that our government is competent at that, then they can re-evaluate the need for more pseudo slave labor for big business.

[Eugene]

3. Poorly written legislation like Cornyn's provision is not the answer.

There are 12 million illegal immigrants in the country.
So far, nobody has proposed a practical, humane, and
constitutional way to deport all 12 million of them.
Amnesty for those who earn it is an alternative to
keeping a large segment of the population underground
where they are easier to exploit.

Of course we all want to keep the criminals out, but
Cornyn's proposal would have created a catch-22.

[Robson]

4. I wouldn't deport them, just their employers

That would solve both problems....get rid of dishonest employers and the workers would leave to find work in their homeland. Let the employers set-up shop in Mexico and employ them there in their homeland with families. It will improve Mexico's economic standing.