Immigration battle looms

The battle over immigration reform will be waged shortly in the U.S. Senate as the Judiciary Committee tries to open a legal path for foreigners to come to the U.S. for work and bring the city’s 650,000 illegal aliens out of the shadows.
Senator John McCain (R. Ariz.) came to the city recently, joining a multiethnic rally in support of his legislation, co-authored by Ted Kennedy (D. Mass.), which would allow undocumented workers to earn legal status. The U.S. has approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants, “and 97% of the have a job,” McCain said.
Leaders from immigrant communities, labor, business, and religious organizations listened to illegal immigrants such us Carlos, a college valedictorian from Guatemala; Shamila, a physician who came from Pakistan when she was four year old and grew up in Brooklyn, and Brian a plumber from Ireland with his own business. “They are successful people, not criminals,” said McCain.
The rally, held at the headquarters of the local Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ SEIU, at 101 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan, was in support of the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act of 2005 – known as the “McCain-Kennedy Law,” that opposes H.R. 4437, which was passed last year by the House of Representatives.
The McCain-Kennedy bill would increase border security while creating a “guest-worker” program if the aliens came here to do jobs that were going unfilled by Americans. After four years of working they would be eligible to apply for green cards and given permanent resident status. Illegals already here could apply too but they would have to pay $2,000 in fines, undergo criminal and background checks, prove they have paid all their back taxes and demonstrate knowledge of English and civics.
The house bill would criminalize undocumented aliens; build walls along the U.S-Mexico border; require employers to verify the legal status of their employees; punish everybody who helps illegal aliens with severe penalties, turn minor crimes into aggravated felonies and cancel the Lotto Visas. Both proposals are not federal laws yet.
“Instead of forcing immigration underground, we need to bring immigration out of the shadows so that we can restore the rule of law while living up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum and the chair of the New American Opportunity Campaign. “Senator McCain is showing courageous leadership on this issue and I hope other leaders step up to the plate to fix our broken immigration system,” Sharry implored.
Senator Arlen Specter (Rep. PA), the Judiciary Committee chairman, has a competing draft bill that would allow illegal workers now in the U.S. to obtain a three-year work visa renewable one time for an additional three years. To work for more than six years immigrants would be required to return to their native country for a year. The program is restricted to immigrants who pass background checks, plead guilty to entering the country illegally and pay back taxes.
“Senators Schumer and Clinton have been missing from the immigration debate so far, but now we really need them to stand up for the millions of immigrant New Yorkers they represent,” said Ana Maria Archila, executive director of the Latin American Integration Center, a community organization that works with immigrants in Queens.