By Juan MontoyaThe press release Dec. 15 from the office of our septuagenarian U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz made it seem like he was leading the charge for immigration reform.
Yet, a closer look at this issue indicates that while Ortiz is supportive of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP), the legislation was actually authored and introduced by Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL).
And while Ortiz focuses narrowly on the warm and fuzzy human aspect of immigration reform, the legislation actually seeks to tighten borders, install new controls over hiring practices and offers a road to legalization for millions of Americans as long as they have contributed to the country and have avoided committing any felonies for six years.
Ortiz is actually one of 87 members of the U.S. House of Representatives who jumped in to co-author the bill. But you wouldn't know it from reading Ortiz's press release on the day the bill was announced on Capitol Hill.
“I have served in Congress for close to three decades, and during this time I have seen the many struggles immigrants in this country have faced," he told his constituents. "I would like to thank the members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for asking me to spearhead this bill in the House of Representatives; thank you colleagues for your leadership and endless vision."
But before we raise the hopes of thousands of Rio Grande Valley residents desirous of legalizing their legal status here, let's be clear-eyed on the possibility of this bill becoming law.
Many are not so confident that immigration reform has a chance of passing through the Congress during this session. And while the bill streamlines the legalization process, it also increases the numbers of people who can legally emigrate from other countries.
"It is clear that what makes good policy does not always make good politics," said Ben Johnson, Executive Director of the American Immigration Council.
"It seems like it is going to be a pretty difficult bill to pass," said Jason Morreira, the National Organization of Portuguese Americans. "It is probably going to be a pretty controversial issue considering the political landscape we are in."
The sticky issue of health care reform still has the Senate bogged down. Since February, it has made its way through five committees. Also on the Senate's plate are issues like the budget, the recovery plan, and climate change.
Many feel that immigration will be a very difficult issue based on what has happened in 2009 and on immigration reforms fights in the past.
Regardless of what Ortiz may feel emotionally, it is a homeland security bill first and foremost. It begins with a reorganization of the borders allowing for state, regional and federal law enforcement officials to work together to stop violence from crossing into cities near the boundaries.
It also calls for a Southern Border Security Task Force to be formed and systems to be developed to combat human smuggling over territorial lines.
In addition, the bill seeks to protect detainees held in immigration raids, offering services for families and ensuring that the rights of the detainees for medical treatment, legal representation and safety are different from violent inmates.
It also prohibits the separation of families with children and increases legal protections for detained parents and caregivers. It also creates a phased in verification system, where employers can verify the status of new hires; yet, prohibits the creation of a national ID card.
It deals with caps on immigration, removing the inclusion of highly trained medical and science professionals from the migration caps used to ascertain the numbers of those legally allowed to enter the U.S. from a foreign nation.
An analysis of the bill by a leading journal of the immigrant press indicates that "as far as families, the legislation changes the law to 'strengthen' the family units. It changes the classification of spouses and children of legal residents to immediate relatives, allowing them to continue to pursue their immigration petitions even if the legal resident or U.S. citizens who petitioned for their inclusion as a legal resident, dies."
The bill would also allow for the judges to decline orders of removal for parents of a U.S. citizen, if the judges determine the removal would not be in the child's best interest.
Some of the more controversial sections of the bill includes title IV of the bill where the question of illegal immigration is dealt with as it would create a pathway for legalization for the undocumented.
The bill would create a conditional non-immigrant visa, which would be valid for six years and allow work and travel during that time. In order to qualify, the immigrant would have to prove that they have contributed to the American system through either employment, education, military service, volunteer/community work and also prove that they have been in the United States prior to Dec. 15, 2009, the day the bill was presented to Congress.
The applicants must also pay a $500 fine, have no felony convictions and no more than three misdemeanors. Once they have completed all of the requirements, which include learning some English, after six years, they could apply for a green card.
Those already in deportation proceedings for a lack of documentation would be allowed to apply, as long as their breaches did not include criminal or security related charges. The legislation would allow for individual states to determine whether they would provide higher education at in-state rates for any of those awaiting green card status.
Also included in the bill are numerous provisions formerly found in the DREAM Act, which stalled in Congress. The carried over provisions would allow children whose parents emigrated here illegally to be eligible for a green card upon completion of high school, two years of college or military service without having to pay a fine.
They would also be eligible for citizenship after three years of obtaining their green card. Currently, green card holders must wait five years to apply for citizenship.
3 comments:
As you know, what Ortiz did has been done for time immemorial in Congress. Or do you not know that? It doesn't speak well of him, but, then, he is a politician. You are on better ground with your posturing when you write about the criminal bandit Cortina.
In the end, Ortiz is typical of America--rise and forget your past--"get all you can, can all you get and sit on the lid." No reason to wonder why we have squandered the riches God has given this nation.
Dear Mr. Montoya:
Whenever I think of immigration in America, I’m reminded of Nietzsche and how his book was misinterpreted by the Germans as much as immigration is being portrayed now by the right wing media. Immigration is not a question of here and now. Immigration is a question of whether a man has a right to seek a better life or not. To fully understand the complexity of this bill you need to understand the simplicity of an immigrant’s mind.
As you might now Mr. Montoya, in 1883 Frederick Nietzsche wrote “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”, arguably the most important piece of existentialism that ever was written in which the question of the supremacy of the fittest arises. Nietzsche, in my believe, only spoke about a generation improvement between a father and a son. Nonetheless this book was the inspiration of the Mein Kampf, a little book written by little man with a little mind. Hitler persuade the Germans into thinking that all of the problems thus being economical, political, social or even sexually was entirely to blame on the Jews. Let us remember that back on those days the Jews where being treated like outsiders, almost like gypsies. Jews where never consider part of Germany even thou they where a big part of their social and economical development.
The media in those days was utilized to penetrate people’s minds into thinking first that they would be better off without Jews and then that they had to be eliminated in order the cleanse the human race. They did it by inserting fear in their minds, and blaming them for everything that was wrong. As much as dramatic that this might sound, this is the way the right wing media portrays the immigrant. They seem to try to portrait them as infectious animals that only want to come here to steal others people’s lives. They don’t realize that is only human nature.
The mind of an immigrant is not set on coming here and take advantage of the system, contrary to the lies that the media filters, they don’t ask for benefits, most of them work with borrowed social security numbers that they will never use to collect the benefits hat they are generating. They have to be model citizens otherwise they risk deportation if they are arrested by the police. They come here to better our community, to work for living, to keep this country strong and not take anything for granted.
I ask to everyone, are we not a nation of immigrants?, Did we not fight all over the world to keep all men equal? Didn’t we lose so many soldiers lives during WWII to preserve the right to exist? I believe that the sole knowledge of us being equal makes this country great.
RM
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