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No Amendment Will Save Senate Immigration Bill; S. 744 Must Not Pass
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To summarize the Senate immigration bill as it heads toward a final vote: illegal immigrants, foreign-born workers, the Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic lobby get everything. Not even crumbs are tossed to American citizens.
If the worst happens and S. 744 passes, Americans looking for a job will face greater challenges than ever. If you’re one of the 20 million who can’t find a full-time job, you’ll face increased competition during the next decade from 33 million low and high-skilled workers in all job sectors who will have work visas.
For the fortunate who are employed, holding on to your job will become harder.
S. 744 exposes the Senators-at least those who will ultimately support the bill-as craven politicians who have earned Americans’ contempt for pushing the unnecessary and hurtful bill onto their unwilling constituents. But Americans don’t like being played for fools; the bill’s future remains up in the air.
The Gang of Eight’s early promises to secure the border and to end illegal immigration turned out to be smoke and mirrors. Little surprise that the Gang lied. When it comes to immigration, many Senators have long histories of deceit and deception. In 2008 John McCain, then the Republican presidential candidate, became an overnight enforcement advocate. Suddenly, McCain’s well documented 25-year congressional record as a vigorous amnesty supporter went poof. McCain knew it would play poorly nationwide so he reluctantly promised to “build the dang fence.” Today, McCain opposes a fence.
Tennessee’s Bob Corker is cut from the same untrustworthy cloth as McCain. In 2006, Corker campaigned vigorously against amnesty as he repeatedly insisted that before an alien could become a legal resident, he would have to return home to apply from abroad. But last week, Corker and his Republican North Dakota colleague John Hoeven scurried around to cut a deal with the Gang to give the false appearance of greater border security when none exists. If the conspiratorial Corker-Hoeven amendment is approved, it could lure undecided Republicans into voting “yea.”
People knowledgeable about the border, namely ICE agents, say the Corker-Hoeven amendment is more of the same-it promises the moon but will not deter future illegal immigration
Even a compelling report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office which agrees with ICE can’t deter Senators determined to sell out America. In its analysis of S. 744, the CBO projected that only about 25 percent of future illegal immigration would be stopped. Over the next 10 years, 7.5 million new illegal immigrants would arrive. By 2023, the stage would be set for another round of Hispanic lobby hand-wringing for an amnesty to get aliens “out of the shadows.”
The CBO report added that the nation’s immigration system is as vulnerable internally as it is on the border. People come into the United States on dozens of temporary, non-immigrant visas but never go home and are never pursued for deportation. ICE says that even if the Department of Homeland Security implemented the long-promised entry-exit visa tracking system, more agents would be needed for successful internal enforcement.
The CBO concluded that S. 744 will lead not only to continued illegal immigration but also to higher unemployment, lower wages, and higher interest rates.
Neither the Democrats nor the squishy Republicans who have bought into the con want border enforcement. No matter how many pious pledges are made to put “boots on the ground” or to throw billions at the problem, S. 744 will not provide border enforcement
One thing neither side of the aisle disputes: the instant President Obama signs S.744,11 million illegal aliens will receive legal status and work authorization.
Joe Guzzardi is a Californians for Population Stabilization Senior Writing Fellow whose columns have been syndicated since 1986. For comments to Joe email joeguzzardi@capsweb.org.