"Comprensive immigration reform" returns: S.9, the "Stronger Economy, Stronger Borders Act of 2009"

Comprehensive immigration reform - aka an amnesty for illegal aliens - is back. Yesterday, Harry Reid introduced S.9, the "Stronger Economy, Stronger Borders Act of 2009" ("SESBA"). What's there now is just a placeholder (link), however the remarks made by Patrick Leahy at introduction show exactly what it is. Those remarks and the list of co-sponsors are below. Note that this is a repeat of how it started in 2007, right down to the bill number.

If you want to cut this bill off at the knees, write to your representatives and let them know your opinion. However, for those who want something that would be dramatically more effective, ask politicians tough questions about this issue on videotape and then upload their responses to video sharing sites. Discrediting one national politician over this issue would send a very loud and clear message to the rest.

Note that allowing illegal aliens to become citizens is left open, perhaps as a bargaining chip:
I am confident that our country and our economy will be far more secure when those who are currently living in the shadows of our society are recognized and provided the means to become lawful residents, if not a path to citizenship.
Note also that the remarks oppose immigration enforcement, at the same time as SESBA presumably will include ramped-up enforcement as an inducement to those who support our laws:
Those who oppose a realistic solution to address the estimated millions of people currently living and working in the United States without proper documentation have offered no alternative solution other than harsh penalties and more enforcement.
So? That would work, and it would restore the natural order of things where people stay in their own countries until we decide we want to admit them. Apparently Leahy et al are afraid that it would work. But, don't worry: he's thinking of you:
We must protect the rights and opportunities of American workers and, at the same time, ensure that our Nation's farmers and employers have the help they need.
OK, the American worker isn't at the top of Leahy's list. Rather, he's more concerned with the riding on the coattails of racial power and helping cheap labor employers have a ready workforce.

The remarks also support "family reunification", aka chain migration rather than our historical policies which encouraged people to make a clean break. They also oppose the "wall" on the southern border.

As for this, I'm not sure what exactly it's referring to:
We cannot continue to deny asylum seekers because they have been forced at the point of a gun to provide assistance to those engaged in terrorist acts. We cannot continue to label as terrorist organizations those who have stood by the United States in armed conflict.
UPDATE: Brown was added as a co-sponsor.

Co-sponsors:
Ted kennedy, Mark Begich, Jeff Bingaman, Sherrod Brown, Barbara Boxer, John Kerry, Dick Durbin, Amy Klobuchar, Pat Leahy, Carl Levin, Joe Lieberman, Claire Mccaskill, and Charles Schumer.

Introductory remarks from Leahy:
It is the sense of Congress that Congress should enact, and the President should sign, legislation to strengthen the economy, recognize the heritage of the United States as a nation of immigrants, and amend the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) by--

(1) providing more effective border and employment enforcement;

(2) preventing illegal immigration; and

(3) reforming and rationalizing avenues for legal immigration.

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. Presdient, as we begin the 111th Congress, we will try, once again, to enact comprehensive immigration reforms that have eluded us in the past several years. With an administration that understands the critical necessity of meaningful reform and that understands the policy failures of the last 8 years, I am hopeful that the new Congress can finally enact legislation consistent with our history as a nation of immigrants.

The majority leader has included immigration reform as among the legislative priorities for the new Congress. I look forward to working with him, Senator Kennedy, Senator McCain, and others interested in working toward the goal of immigration reform.

In 2006 and 2007, Congress attempted to pass practical and effective reforms to our immigration system. In 2006, the Senate did its part and passed legislation, only to be thwarted by those in the House of Representatives who opposed dealing with the issue in a meaningful way. In 2007, the House passed legislation only to have it blocked in the Senate by Republican Members opposed to effective reform.

If our immigration policies are to be effective and play a role in restoring America's image around the world, we must reject the failed policies of the last 8 years. We cannot continue to deny asylum seekers because they have been forced at the point of a gun to provide assistance to those engaged in terrorist acts. We cannot continue to label as terrorist organizations those who have stood by the United States in armed conflict. We must not tolerate the tragic and needless death of a person in our custody for lack of basic medical care. We must ensure that children are not needlessly separated from their parents and that family unity is respected.

We must move beyond the current policy that is focused on detaining and deporting those undocumented workers who have been abused and exploited by American employers but does nothing to change an environment that remains ripe for these abuses. We must protect the rights and opportunities of American workers and, at the same time, ensure that our Nation's farmers and employers have the help they need. We should improve the opportunities and make more efficient the processes for those who seek to come to America with the goal of becoming new Americans, whether to invest in our communities and create jobs, to be reunited with loved ones, or to seek freedom and opportunity and a better life. We must also live up to the goal of family reunification in our immigration policy and join at least 19 other nations that provide immigration equality to same-sex partners of different nationalities. And I believe we would be wise to reconsider the effectiveness and cost of a wall along our southern border, which has adversely affected the fragile environment and vibrant cross-border culture of an entire region. Such a wall stands as a symbol of fear and intolerance. This is not what America is about and we can do better.

Those who oppose a realistic solution to address the estimated millions of people currently living and working in the United States without proper documentation have offered no alternative solution other than harsh penalties and more enforcement. The policies of the last 8 years, which have served only to appease the most extreme ideologues, must be replaced with sensible solutions. I am confident that our country and our economy will be far more secure when those who are currently living in the shadows of our society are recognized and provided the means to become lawful residents, if not a path to citizenship.

As President-elect Obama's administration considers immigration issues, I look forward to working closely with them and with the Senate's leadership to find the best solutions. President-elect Obama's nominees to lead the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor understand very well the importance of sensible border policies and the importance of workers' rights. The American people look to all of us to forge a consensus for immigration reform that rejects the extreme ideology that has attended this issue and prevented real progress.

Comments

Here we go again.. what is it with these senators.. I can under stand Barbie Boxer, she is missing part of her senses to begin with... more phone calls will be needed to stop this again.. I know 5 ppl who are out of work now in construction. and these nit wits want to legal ize illegals who are working in these jobs..

This won't happen anytime soon. We beat it back before and we will beat it back again, comrades.

Nice work. Yours is the first site that I know of that has announced this push for amnesty. Gird your loins, Patriots. Lock and Load...do not sit on the sidelines! If this bill comes out of committee and makes it to the floor for a vote, it has a much better chance of passing than the previous amnesties since Congress has many more Democrats than before.

We cannot allow this to happen. These people could care less about Americas' sovernity. We must stop this at all costs.

NO MORE F'ING excuses...we need a MONUMENTAL march on OUR capitol to make it clear ONCE and for all that these THIEVES do NOT run this country. It STILL belongs to the people,although not for long if they pass this bill!!

The anti American scum are at it again. They get lots of back door money from those who profit from the invasion. They don't give a rats ass about American citizens. They continue to sell us out! We will stop them again!

The Forgotten Issue: Illegal Immigration and Crime Two new studies were released in October on the relationship between illegal immigrants and crime in the U.S. The first released October 1, 2008, by the Center for Immigration Studies deals with gang activity, and the second, released October 3, 2008, by the Maricopa County Attorneys Office in Phoenix, Arizona, details the percentage of crimes committed by border violators in the third largest county in the U.S. "Taking Back the Streets: ICE and Local Law Enforcement Target Immigrant Gangs" is the Center for Immigration Studies report that offers these highlights: # Transnational immigrant gangs have been spreading rapidly and sprouting in suburban and rural areas where communities are not always equipped to deal with them. # A very large share of immigrant gang members are illegal aliens and removable aliens. Federal sources estimate that 60 to 90 percent of the members of MS-13, the most notorious immigrant gang, are illegal aliens. In one jurisdiction studied, Northern Virginia, 30 to 40 percent of the gang task force case load were removable aliens. # MS-13 activity was found in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. # The immigrant gangsters arrested were a significant menace to the public. About 80 percent had committed serious crimes in addition to their immigration violations and 40 percent were violent criminals. # While immigration law enforcement is a federal responsibility, ICE cannot do the job effectively without assistance from state and local law enforcement, particularly when it comes to immigrant gangs. # Failure to adequately control the U.S.-Mexico border and to deter illegal settlement in general undermines the progress ICE and local law enforcement agencies have made in disrupting criminal immigrant street gangs. The MCAO report from County Attorney Andrew Thomas features these startling numbers for prosecuted felony cases in Maricopa County, Arizona: In 2007, illegal immigrants accounted for: 10% of sex crimes convictions 11% of murders convictions 13% of stolen cars convictions 13% of aggravated assaults convictions 17% of those sentenced for violent crimes 19% of those sentenced for property crimes 20% of those sentenced for felony DUI. 21% of crimes committed with weapons 34% of those sentenced for the manufacture, sale or transport of drugs 36% of those sentenced for kidnapping 44% of forgeries 50% of those sentenced for crimes related to "chop shops" 85% of false ID convictions 96% of smuggling convictions Illegal immigrants make up 19 percent of those convicted of crimes in Maricopa County and 21 percent of those in county jails. Illegal immigrants only make up an estimated 9 percent of the countyÂ’s population. It is estimated that each violent crime cost citizens $20,000, and each property crime cost citizens $4363 per offense. All the more a concern is research that finds the

truncated part at the end of The Forgotten Issue: Illegal Immigration and Crime ...All the more a concern is research that finds the likelihood of an illegal immigrant being incarcerated grows with longer residence in the United States and that the U.S. born children (considered citizens) of illegal immigrants are dramatically more likely to be involved in crime than their illegal immigrant parents. For instance, native born Hispanic male high school dropouts are eleven times more likely to be incarcerated than their foreign born counterparts.

LIST OF REASONS AMERICANS ARE UPSET ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION - Part 1: Anchor Babies (instant American citizens) Anti-American Attitudes Billions of $$ being sent out of our economy to their Home countries Census,illegals should not be counted but are which affects our distribution of representatives thereby directly affecting politics Civil rights,"The rights belonging to an individual by virtue of citizenship", not illegal aliens Child Endangerment Increased incidents of domestic violence Closed and Overcrowded Hospitals and Emergency Rooms Cost of Translators Consulates issueing Matricular card (ID they won't even accept) Day Labors Depreciated Wages Deterioration of Common American Culture Desecration of the American Flag Disrespect for American Laws Flying Mexican Flag above American Flag Gangs, Graffiti, Drugs, Cartels, Smugglers, and Violence High Birth Rates and Overpopulation Hit and Run is common in accidents with illegals driving Human Sex Slavery Identity Theft

LIST OF REASONS AMERICANS ARE UPSET ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION - Part 2: Increased Crime Increased Taxes for Americans Increased pressures on infrastructure (roads, traffic, water, sewer) Infectious Diseases Lost American Jobs Lost American Sovereignty Making demands of our elected officials Not Speaking English and loss of common language Overcrowded Schools and Negative Impact on American Education Overcrowded single family homes Overcrowded Jails and Prisons Press 1 for english Stolen American Taxpayer Resources Taking limited seats in colleges at taxpayer expense Terrorism Threats and Security Trash and Negative Impact on Environment Unfair to Legal Immigrants Unfair Business Competition Unlicensed and Uninsured Motorists Untaxed Wages Voter Fraud

The responses to this new attempt to legalize illegal aliens are very good. The two things I would like to add is the following information. Illegal immigrants are responsible for about 3,000 murders committed in the United States and a little over 4,000 deaths on our highways. That is more then 7,000 per year. I do not have any information as to how many are injured, but it is probably in the thousands. The second part is the allegations that no alternates are offered to control illegal immigrants. That is not true. If employers were required to verify that an immigrant has a right to work here by using the e-verify computer system, then there would be no illegal immigrants here because without work they would not come in the first place.

I'll give you all 9,000 good reasons not to all S.9 to see the light of day--9,000 American lives that will be saved by ridding our country of the illegal alien scurge! 25 Americans each day die at the hands of illegals, both from dui accidents caused by the illegals but also murder. That is unacceptable!

You can thank Senator Bob Menendez for stopping the E-Verify Bill. I saw him with the hispanic caucus the other night on CSpan. He stated he really prefers hanging around with Latinos as he complimented his fellow hispanic Sen Salazar who was picked by Obama for his cabinet. I don't get why these people are okay to form a RACIST group like this , yet if there were a white caucus it would be considered horrendous. Therein lies the problem. We native American citizens are supposed to sit back and take it whilst these crooks steal our country. They also talked about geting their immigration bill passed. Obviously these people have an agenda. Infiltration of the USA is their goal and so far thanks to useless politicians they are winning.

SWEET! America's Come Back begins!!! This reform has been long-overdue and luckily in the current circumstances no right-wing racists/xenophobes will be able to stop it. Remember, out of the 21 anti-immigration Reps, 20 lost their seats last November. Get the message?

Americans have got to get it into their thick skulls sooner or later. The Democrats under Pelosi and Harry Reid, including Obama, are just as willing to sell out Americans as the Bush neocons were. In fact, I think their even more willing to sell Americans out to serve the best interests of illegal aliens. Afterall, citizens in say California, who are on fixed incomes, young families who are citizens, etc. all are struggling to pay enough taxes to support the Democrats desire in Sacramento to serve illegal aliens--so much so, that the state of California is BROKE. Right now Governor Schwarzenegger is fighting to not have to raise taxes on citizens, that the Democrats are trying to force on him--so illegal aliens needs are served. Think about it, wherever you live.

Actually, members of the Tancredo-founded and immigration-enforcement focused Immigration Reform Caucus (IRC) fared better than their non-IRC counterparts in November's election. And many of the Dems who won, sounded tough against illegal immigration (even Kanjorski signed the Discharge Petition for the SAVE Act). So the last election was in no way any type of mandate for amnesty. And with the ADP report showing 693,000 private sector jobs shed in December alone, it would be incredibly insensitive and politically foolish of Obama to push "comprehensive immigration reform" a/k/a amnesty. But if he does, we'll be ready.

Is'nt it funny how during the presidential race we heard nothing of this..Now its all you hear about.Thier all TRAITORS

We must save our country. We don't mind sharing our country, we always have. We have given until we have buried ourselves into so much debt that we are now in a crisis in America. Will there be anyone to bail us out. Chavez (sp) has stopped shipping oil to residents (blacks in Baltimore mostly) everyone is pulling back. What are we doing, continuing to give away the baby with the bath water. The Republicans did not lose the elections because of illegal immigration, they lost because Bush is a lying traitor and so is Cheney! They opened up the border for greed and now it has gone too far, trust when I tell you that the majority of American citizens are tired of paying taxes to sustain people and the anchor's they have dropped in our country with our tax dollars. Even if they come out of the shadows, they will still be improvished, they will still not make enough money to sustain themesevles and their familes. They will still need assistance as most are below the poverty level even with two jobs! I am tired, I do believe in being humane while sending these people back, I don't care if they have been in my country since 1986! Anyone born or who have stolen in my country due to illegal immigration since 1986 need to go home now, we have helped enough and if you have not applied for citizenship during all of that time, tough luck, we have had ENOUGH!

Where's Fred......??? He has been right all along.

Having worked in the court system in Northern VA, I saw many MS13 gang members in the courtroom. These are cruel, cunning man and woman who think nothing of killing and committing other crimes for their "family" follow gang members and no love for this country. I also like the other post and sick and tired of seeing other flags being held up and stuck on cars in this area and bad things said about my country that has provided jobs food and shelter for these folks. I am very pro America and if you come here I don't want to see any other flag but the red, white and blue, we have our problems I know but don't come here to use us. Also I am sick of this country of immigrants line my parents, and grandparents were born here this is my native country I know no other look up the definition of immigrant!

keep smoking your crack pipe kyra. what happens each and every time people like you call your countrymen racists when this issue come up? we beat it back each and every single time. be ready to have your head handed to you once more, you american hating piece of shit.

I am sick of the "We are a nation of immigrants" excuse too April and it is an excuse because there is no rationale to adding MILLIONS of people to a country at one time and especially in a time of a looming economic disaster. My family as been here 365 years and I am a native who has no other country to run to if I decide to ditch this country like IA's can and do. According to recent scientific DNA evidence everyone is a immigrant unless you are from a certain small village in Africa. We are a souvreign nation who has a constitutional right to control our borders and we decide who enters our country,NOT Harry Reid or OBL's ! Part of our success as a nation and the reason sooo many people want to immigrate here is because we are a nation of laws but Senator Reid and his special interest cronies think they have a right to pick and choose which laws are followed which is Anarchy. Thanks for the statistics zeezil you always have the most recent updates on what is happening concerning IA's.

only if people stand as one and fight for freedom can you keep this nation. BO Has you all in line and if you fight you will be on the line and most of you will never fight for anything.

Harry Reid..that useless, treasonous piece of crap has proposed again the immigration bill we fought against before...Get ready for the fight of your lives cuz this scumbag, weaselly, nerdy ,criminal , clueless F**cker is gonna get his head handed to him again!

"Harry Reid..that useless, treasonous piece of crap....." Mary, is that the best you can do. Oh well, it's better than anyone else has done describing Reid so far. Thanks. Could you take a crack at Pelosi and Feinstein one of these days also? It would be appreciated. I'm all worn out thinking up ways of describing these "representatives".

Sorry Bobby, what I think of our supposed representatives is unprintable in politecompany...

Reid and Pelosie have to do something, Barry Soetoro (a/k/a, Barack Obama)can not prove he is natural born citizen, so with rhe help of the "no comment" U.S. Supreme Court, the D.C. socialist will get all children born to foreign nationals the right to be president of the United States. You all have heard of that country, it use to be a Republic. Yes it did, sometime ago.....

If you think that this is a winning issue for the GOP with 59(!) donk senators, you're smoking crack. They don't have 59 donk Senators for nothing--it's YOUR fault! And they're going to win this one, hands down, and in your face us. And on this one we DESERVE to be in-your-faced. One major reason we, the GOP, lost in 2006 (and worse in 2008!) was not because the "enemy" managed to "portray us" as a bunch of frakking Nazis who want to round up illegal aliens and put them in concentration camps .... but because a sizeable and very loud portion of the anti-illegal-immigration crew ARE a bunch of frakking Nazis who want to round up illegal aliens and put them in concentration camps. 'Boxcars to the borders'? 'Zero population growth'? 'Shoot the invaders'? Screw that. Not on my watch, thank you. The illegals aren't here because they're 'invaders'. They're here because we ourselves have exterminated 1.5 million Americans in utero every year since the Nixon administration. That adds up to about 50 million Americans, half of whom would be over 18 now. AND SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO THE WORK THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO. The EEEEVIL EEELEGULS are not here to do the work that Americans 'don't want to do'--they're here, like it or not, to do the work Americans CAN'T do because they're DEAD. And YOU, dear readers, if you have contributed to the problem through either aborting your own offspring or practicing contraception with your spouse because you wanted an SUV more than another kid, then you have absolutely nothing to say on the subject. You were part of the problem years ago. Now our enemies will fix the problem because we could not moderate our hostilities toward these "others". Go ahead. Call me a traitor. I've learned long ago that that is the standard response to tellers of truth. (See Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People".)

Hello Doc, Sorry to blow your theory away...I grew up with ten brothers and sisters.....Well , there is no way on earth anyone can afford to have that many kids today. Many can barely afford two. And with women AND men working who will be watching the kids? Of course if you are an illegal alien you can have more cuz the government will pay for your housing, medical and food stamps....so they get to keep procreating while we work to support them. Until these freeloaders are made to pay for their own responsibilities this problem will get worse......Of course until hard working Americans say NO MORE MONEY HONEY!!!

"AND SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO THE WORK THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO." Yes with unemployment at over 8% you can say this with a straight face? You support slavery lite. You are a fucking traitor, and that's a fact.

You are a fucking traitor, and that's a fact. > Ok. So string me up. Then round up all the illegals, put them in camps, and ship them home. And vhen zomevun calls you a Nazi, make schure zat your armband is on straight und your narrow moustache carefully trimmed. Jawohl!

Sorry to blow your theory away...I grew up with ten brothers and sisters.....>> So did I. The only reason we didn't have that many ourselves is that my wife couldn't have more. We're outsourcing our babies so that we can schtup whoever we want without consequences. So don't complain about America becoming browner, it's our own fault. And *that* is a fact.

The United States is a multicultural nation, home to a wide variety of ethnic groups, traditions, and values There is no "American" ethnicity; aside from the now small Native American and Native Hawaiian populations, nearly all Americans or their ancestors immigrated within the past five centuries. Stop flaming and bringing innacurate data about crime rate and so on(e.g. 2.6 million people incarcerated in 2008, only 0.5% were illegal aliens). Did you know that all presidents to date (except Obama) have been men of European descent. WE ARE A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS and there is no point in crying over and over about this subject. How come you never mention the extermination of native indians, the slavery of blacks, the endless wars and so on?. This country will be more prosperous and democratic if people like you would just change their mentality.

petty bourgeois> Yes with unemployment at over 8% you can say this with a straight face? >> What part of the business cycle were they discussing in your high school economics class when you were absent? Oh. And how many kids do YOU have, petty?

The United States is a multicultural nation, home to a wide variety of ethnic groups, traditions, and values There is no "American" ethnicity; aside from the now small Native American and Native Hawaiian populations, nearly all Americans or their ancestors immigrated within the past five centuries. >> There is no American "ethnicity"? Have you ever seen an African American among African Africans? Have you ever seen an Irish American visiting the Auld Sod? They both stick out like sore thumbs. But more to the point, there IS a uniquely American CULTURE. We cannot (nor should we) alter the ethnicity of those who have come here illegally; we should however get them to adapt to our ways, learn our language, and our civics, prior to voting. Unfortunately, we missed that bus in 2007 when the extremists among us stiffarmed the bill. The next one will be totally horiffic from my POV as regards assimilation and will be plowed through before we get a chance to even alter it. But hey, nations that commit genocide and mass murder are rarely treated nicely by history. Suck it up, fellow citizens. Now THESE are REAL chickens coming home to roost. Alas.

You can take that "multicultural" bullshit...and "we are a nation of immigrants" (cue music......) and all your other cult mantras and shove it! We ain't buying your load of crap!!!

We ain't buying your load of crap!!! >> Right. It says so right here, in the Dredd Scott Decision, that this is a white man's nation. Right, Mary?

No Doc, It will remain split between blacks ,whites etc...because that's what the liberals want to happen. They can't use it unless they perpetuate it....and that they do nonstop. The only thing A Black caucus, and an hispanic caucus does is keep these groups from assimilating and becoming equal. Now you wouldn't want to change that would ya doc ? Because then you just might have to admit that your liberal panty waist friends are the guiltiest at putting down the blacks and making sure that the issue stays in the forefront. So thanks for being eternally divisive and absent of logic...!!!That is your kinds mantra!

Mary you are soo right on. Just think of the "Poor Me" Boo Hoo groups whose leaders have become wealthy telling minority groups of people they are not worthy !! Until these people stop listening to to those who profit from telling them they are abused it will create a unhealthy mind set holding people back from realizing their full potential. There was a time in our nations history when African Americans did need help with equal rights but that time has passed.

You should all check out Whitehouse.gov 2007 comprehensive report on the effects of immigration on the economy. It states that while immigration positively impacts our economy overall, immigration quite negatively affects the lowest American citizen wage earners. Do we really want to drive our fellow American citizens OF ALL RACES deeper into the pit? Do they NEED more workplace competition than they have NOW? Hello!! This report came from the WHITEHOUSE. But they don't care. They only care about the upper classes, apparently, and the big corporations. This bill is FOR them--the corporations, and the upper classes. It's NOT a race issue, Doc. It's a CLASS issue--the haves against the have-nots.