Bloomy: No immig in his right mind is gonna go
Mayor lauds parts of Senate plan, then blasts it as a 'feel-good' fraud
Saturday, May 19th 2007, 4:00 AM
THE PROPOSAL
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Illegal immigrants could obtain "Z visas" that would allow them to stay in the country.
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Heads of households would have to return to their home countries and reapply for proper visas.
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They would have to pay $1,500 fees and $5,000 fines to get on the path to permanent residency.
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Skills, education levels and job experience would weigh more heavily than family ties.
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A temporary worker program would be launched allowing people to enter the country for two years.
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The Border Patrol force would be doubled to 18,000 officers.
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The fence along the Mexican border would be greatly expanded.
What's next?
The Senate opens debate on the proposal Monday. Expect many amendments.
The Senate hopes to pass a bill by Memorial Day, a deadline that appears to be optimistic.
After the Senate passes a bill, the House will draw up its own immigration reform bill, likely in July.
The bills would have to be blended before one could be signed into law by President Bush.
Mayor Bloomberg applauded proposed immigration reform yesterday that he said would tighten borders and abandon the "crazy concept" of deporting 12 million people who are here illegally.
But he also joined an array of politicians and advocates acknowledging the proposal's blemishes - including rules that illegal immigrants already here return to their home countries to reapply for entry, and a guest worker program that would require them to leave after two years.
"Nobody in their right mind is going to leave," Bloomberg said. "It's a fraud. It's a feel-good kind of law that says, 'Ah, we passed this,' but it is not practical."
The compromise announced on Thursday was the result of a deal between conservatives and liberals, but it also drew quick criticism from both sides, leaving its future murky.
"I don't know if the immigration legislation is going to bear fruit and we're going to be able to pass it," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who harbored "serious concerns" about the proposal.
His uncertainty was shared by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who acknowledged deep divisions on immigration among Democrats. She said she won't bring the proposal to a vote unless President Bush can guarantee he will produce 70 Republican backers, further making the proposal a long shot.
Senate leaders met privately to plot strategy for next week's debate, which is likely to feature Democratic efforts to kill or substantially shrink the temporary worker program and Republican attempts to prevent illegal immigrants from staying indefinitely in the U.S. without applying for permanent residency or citizenship.
Conservatives promptly attacked the proposal as an amnesty program that would reward illegal immigrants.
"What part of illegal does the Senate not understand? Any plan that rewards illegal behavior is amnesty," said Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.), chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus.
Liberals and many activists, on the other hand, said it would destroy families by weighing skill level and education more heavily than family connections when granting visas.
"We have concerns about the historic shift away from family unification as the backbone of our immigration system," said Kevin Appleby of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) plans to offer an amendment that would exempt the spouses and children of lawful permanent residents from the measure's visa caps, guaranteeing that families receive a higher priority.
Immigration advocates also criticized the temporary worker program for excluding the possibility of citizenship for immigrants.
"Without a real path to legalization, the program will exclude millions of workers and thus ensure that America will have two classes of workers, only one of which can exercise workplace rights," said John Sweeney, the AFL-CIO president.
But many critics pointed out that immigration reform was needed and that the proposal was at least movement in the right direction.
"I do think there's a lot that needs to be tweaked on this to say the least," said Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Queens). "But it gives us a place to start from."
With Kate Lucadamo and News Wire Services