|  BUSH
“LIMITED AMNESTY” PLAN OFFERS HOPE FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
FOR THE NEW YEAR
by Michael J. Gurfinkel, Esq.
Illegal immigrants can look forward to a better year, with a proposed
immigration reform program being drawn up by the Bush Administration.
The Bush plan is considered to be the most important
immigration change in 18 years. While ruling out a “blanket
amnesty,” Bush said he would soon send recommendations to
Congress for an “immigration policy that helps match any
willing employer with any willing employee.”
Bush’s policy statement, made during his year-end
press conference last December 15, is a welcome development for
the more than 8 to 12 million illegal immigrants living in the
United States. It comes as a sort of a “wish come true”
for many of these people, including thousands of Filipinos, who
have been working and contributing to the economic growth of the
U.S. through their labor and taxes, but are not getting the benefits
being accorded citizens and legal residents.
Bush has not spelled out any of the details of the
proposed program, but Washington officials said the President
might adopt some ideas from proposals made earlier by Sen. John
McCain (R-Arizona), Department of Homeland Security Secretary
Tom Ridge, and other legislators.
Here are some of the proposals for the legalization
of illegal immigrants, which may be included in the Bush plan:
1. Sen. McCain’s bill in the Senate would
create a Web-based job registry, to be run by the Labor Department.
Employers would post job opportunities that would be available
first to U.S. workers, and then to prospective immigrants, who
would be allowed to come under a new visa for temporary workers.
The bill would impose a “fine” of $1,500 on illegal
immigrants before they are granted legal residency.
2. A bill in the House of Representatives by Reps.
Jim Kolbe (R-Arizona) and Jeff Flake (R-Arizona), seeks to create
a new visa for previously undocumented workers, who would be allowed
to live legally in the United States for three years. After this
period, the workers could apply for a temporary worker visa, which
would then be the path to a green card or legal residency. This
way, those who entered legally would be given a three-year advantage.
3. DHS Secretary Ridge proposed in early December
2003 what he referred to as “some kind of legal status”
for undocumented workers in the country.
4. A bill introduced by Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah),
called the DREAM Act, (Development, Relief and Education for Alien
Minors Act), would give legal and permanent status to tens of
thousands of children of undocumented immigrants. It recently
passed in the Senate Judiciary Committee and is awaiting full
vote by the Senate.
5. A joint proposal by both Republican and Democrat
lawmakers would allow 500,000 undocumented farm workers to become
legal U.S. residents. The bill is awaiting a vote in the Judiciary
Committee.
6. A bill filed by Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (D-Missouri),
called Earned Legalization and Family Reunification Act, would
provide a route to legalization for undocumented workers who have
been in the U.S. for five years, have a work history, and can
pass a background check.
White House officials said Bush plans to present
his proposals to Congress in the second week of January 2004,
before he leaves for Monterrey, Mexico for a two-day summit of
leaders of the Organization of American States.
Praying for the implementation of the Bush proposal
and approval of the other legislations should top the list of
many people’s New Year’s wishes for 2004. While there
is hope that these proposals would push through next year and
become law, I still would advise people who have not legalized
their status, but who may have a chance to do it now, to seek
the advice of a reputable attorney, who can analyze their situation
and help them find a way to legalize their status. Again, these
are all proposals right now, but let’s hope that they become
law, so hardworking TNT’s can finally share in the “American
Dream.”
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
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