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IMMIGRATION REFORM

President Obama to Push Immigration Reform

The plan includes a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants

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by Lisa Fine

Staff Writer t

Image: AP

President Barack Obama is gearing up in the next few months to introduce a broad overhaul of the immigration system that would offer a path to citizenship for most of the 11 million illegal immigrants in the country, the New York Times reports.

The White House does not consider the plan an amnesty because it would require immigrants who want to obtain legal status to pay fines and back-taxes, the article said.

Some Republican lawmakers had favored breaking the reform effort into smaller pieces addressing young illegal immigrants, migrant farmworkers or highly skilled immigrants, but Obama and Senate Democrats will propose the changes in one comprehensive bill, the article said.

The plan would require businesses to ensure that new employees are in the country legally, create a guest-worker program for low-wage immigrants, add visas to relieve backlogs and allow highly-skilled immigrants to stay in the country, the Times said.

Via the New York Times

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Would you like to see a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants?

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Comments (view in Forum)

  • Jackie312gm
    !
    The first illegal i want deported is borroc huseain obama's aunt. She has been around quite sometime with out papers to hang.......
  • MongoAPillager
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    @Jackie312gm hey,you should get a petition to the white house going for that,The currant administration would be apoplectic,can you imagine if 25'000 people signed it and you know they would....
  • Jackie312gm
    !
    @MongoAPillager I just wanted the posters here to know. It's still up to Janet Napolitano he/she might not deport her. She has to respect her commander-in- chief, borrac husaein obamaloo and his wishes.....!!
  • marine1
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    @Jackie312gm Topics like this just add to the distain that we already have for our inept goverment. It says the goverment of the people but what people would that be?

  • View all 24 replies >

  • PNWest
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    This is definitely a good idea. More people putting money into the Social Security pot means less problems down the road. An added benefit is that most of these new citizens will be anti-GOP. They'll be able to vote soon and will remember which party supported "show your papers" laws and does everything they can to keep them from legally voting. Good for America, bad for the GOP.
  • methinks
    !
    @PNWest I'm for it as well. They're already here. We have to address the issue. But, did you really have to go with all the partisan bullshit? That wasn't necessary.

    Here's a bit to make it more fair, allow them citizenship through the regular citizenship test, but because of their original felonious status, they shouldn't be allowed to vote. Convicted felons, who are natural born US citizens, can't vote; why should they?
  • PNWest
    !
    @methinks I probably didn't have to go all partisan on that one. Citizens are citizens and not all convicted felons lose voting privileges. The immigrants you are talking about have never been convicted of any crime - there is no reason to deny them voting privileges. As penance for going all partisan in my earlier comment I won't speculate on why you want to not give them voting privileges.
  • u
    tomincali
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    @PNWest so you are ok with illegal aliens voting? then what good is the vote when non citizens have it. i bet you are also against voter id.

  • View all 26 replies >

  • mudzangandoro
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    Yes, I would like to see a pathway to citizenship. However 1st preference to be given to those that came in legally whom are still in legal status. We have chemists, accountants, biologists that graduated with student visas that are cleaning dishes, washing cars, working odd jobs because the system will not allow them to work (No offense to these types of jobs) But their potential to contribute to this great nation is being limited...
  • sevenSecrets
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    @Politicskid ya I agree. Let's put all the black and white illegal immigrants into reservations and give the country back to native Americans.

    I love my small little collection of weapons but I find it a little convuluted that its easier for your average person to obtain firearms than it is for a foreigner to legally gain citizenship into a country of conquere.....cough..illegal immi....cough immigrants
  • sevenSecrets
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    @jzmhlanga in a sarcastic way yes. We found the new world, slain most of the indigenous population..and say its alright cause we give their reservations tax exempt status.
    Now current policies are more detailed and maybe set in stone, but the root of the problem is us.

  • View all 58 replies >

  • DARSB
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    It looks like a measured, pragmatic proposal, and thus is doomed to fail without some perfectly silly stuff tossed in. But this is a debate we need to have and have now.
  • stepped_in_it
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    "Democrats will propose the changes in one comprehensive bill, the article said." HMM, maybe they'll throw in some pork into the bill so all will be happy (except , of course, us taxpayers)
  • mudzangandoro
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    The article mentions that these illegals will be required to pay back taxes and fines and so forth. I wonder how they are going to do that when they are not allowed to work in the first place. Like you said "...doomed to fail..." However I am glad they are paying attention to this issue. Someone needs to!
  • favefave
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    Well, illegal immigrants can file taxes already, they are given a special number (ITN) and pay taxes every year already, they are inevitably part of a new culture in the US, giving them a valid social security number would only make easier for the government to track them and force them to pay taxes if they need to. I don't see how giving them legal status would be counterproductive for the country.
  • DARSB
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    @favefave Agreed. One of the strangest things about the immigration debate is the way it ignores the sheer effort these people put in to getting here and making a life. Considerably more effort than natural born citizens.
  • favefave
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    @DARSB Criminal immigrants should serve their time and then be deported to their respective countries (I agree). But hard working and educated immigrats (not begging on the streets) should be given an opportunity to contribute to the economic and cultural growth of this country.

  • View all 9 replies >

  • u
    seedtick
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    Yes...first identify them by the correct legal definition, Illegal Aliens. I would consider "undocumented aliens," but they are not immigrants. George Bush offered the same plan...a path to citizenship and a guest worker program expansion.
    They should first be identified, fingerprinted, and subjected to a detailed background check. If they are cleared of any criminal activity, they should then pay a fine for illegal entry. Next, they should pay back any welfare they fraudulently obtained. Next they go to the back of the line and begin the process that includes learning English and attending school to learn our history and be tested just as all immigrants have had to do before now. THERE SHOULD BE NO SHORTCUT...NO SPECIAL TREATMENT....NO VOTING RIGHTS UNTIL CITIZENSHIP IS OBTAINED.
  • favefave
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    what about those who already speak English among many other languages, have attended your schools and probably know your History better than you, have no criminal conduct, and are not begging on the streets but rather work two or three jobs to support their families.????????
  • marine1
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    @favefave Once we deport them we can set up a payment schedule for them to pay us back for their educations.
  • u
    seedtick
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    @favefave Well, how about them? If they are here illegally they are ILLEGAL ALIENS. And, they need to get right and do it starting from the back of the line. They have already proven that they don't respect our laws...why should we believe them until we check them out? Good people? Maybe...good character? Questionable.
  • artjeb
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    Why should a new ? method of easy imigration be put in place ? More government instead of the law now in place ? Just let the imigrants file for citizenship as it has been for years.
  • PoliticalSpice
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    It should be much easier. Criminal record check, if none, proof of employment, and citizenship test, and poof, you take the oath. You claim to be against more government, so lets get rid of all the beauracracy.
  • Your_Name_Here
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    The operative work is illegal. Millions of people came here legally so the system does not need reform, it works just fine. What the people are that came here illegally is criminals. They broke the law just like the guy who pulled the trigger at the Sandy Hook school. You have laws and enforce all of them or live in a lawless society. Can I pick the laws I want to break?
  • u
    Raptor
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    The key word is illegal, they broke the law and that makes them criminals . Put the people who came here legaly on the fast track to citizenship, and deport the criminals
  • o
    OhWiseOne
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    No. Whatever revenue you get from them will be offset by the services they use. They are illegal. Send them back once and if they come back illegally they get the death penalty. Mine the border. Put U.S. troops on the border. Then you would see the invasion of our country come to a virtual halt.
  • sevenSecrets
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    We need to start packing our bags and moving back to europe then cause I hate to break it to ya, but 90 percent of us are illegal immigrants. I like the term conquerers though.
  • Denizen_Kate
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    The death penalty for entering the country illegally? From your posts on other articles, I thought you were a Christian ... my mistake.
  • PoliticalSpice
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    @Denizen_Kate He is the kind of christian that sets his crosses on fire. He wrote in another thread he wants to repeal the 14th amendment. You know due process, equal treatment under the law. Seems he is against it...
  • PoliticalSpice
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    Actually maybe they should send you out and let you mine the border yourself. It could be like a reality tv show "oh wise one wises ip to the danger of explosives" probably wouldn't last more then a couple episodes, but i'll watch it.
  • o
    OhWiseOne
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    @sevenSecrets Don't think so. There was no Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc... until white feet hit these shores. I was waiting for a self hating white liberal to throw that garbage at me. Do you think you are the first one to try that? LOL! Next.

  • View all 24 replies >

  • Ashstop
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    They broke the law, it's not fair to the people that followed the law and became citizens lawfully, all this will do is encourage more illegals to cross hoping we will ignore our laws for them a few years from now like we did for the past criminals,
  • o
    thejimbo
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    How about granting "The Dream Act" to those who stood in line and followed the lawful process to obtain citizenship, rather than handing it to those who have broken the law and are demanding it? Just sayin...
  • mimi57
    !
    Laws...we don't need no steenking laws! Laws are for chumps, and that's the view of this administration. He's still playing Chicago Politics , only in the White House. The only laws he has to follow are his ! He's the King of the World!...
  • mimi57
    !
    @MongoAPillager Sorry Mongo, I couldn't pull it up. This computer is a 'good' one,
    HP., I will never have another one. I'm sending it to China tomorrow to get it fixed!
    Yeah, China... I have a 10 yr. old Gateway desk top I still use, it works perfect, I've
    had it repaired once. This has given me problems since I got it. Uggggh!!!( 6 months
    ago!)

  • View all 11 replies >

  • u
    gemstone
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    NO.
    Rewarding lawbreakers sends the wrong message and only leads to MORE lawbreaking.
    America does not need millions of people who have shown by their actions that they do not respect our laws. These are precisely the kind of folks we don't want here.
    Mandatory E Verify for all employees, end birthright citizenship for anchors babies and no social services for illegals.
    When they find they cannot survive here they will return home, the same way they illegally came here.
    Enough!
  • marine1
    !
    Like everything else, our politicians screw it up beyond repair and then sell the country down the road because they can NEVER live by the rules they create. Now is that our goverment at its best or what?
  • u
    BelinKS
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    It's about time! It does sound expensive unless the back taxes could be paid in installments over time at a rate that could be affordable for each immigrant according to how much money they make. They have to be able to afford living expenses for themselves and their families. If the man in the household is the one supporting, his family should be included to become citizens. If a single mother, the same should apply. If a child was brought here by one or both parents, the child should automatically become a citizen. If a person has been living here and working, how do they find out how much back taxes are owed? What are the fines that are owed and how much are the fines? I believe they too should be able to be paid in installments at a rate that the immigrant can afford. If made affordable installments, the government can garnish that amount from their paychecks so that there could be no worry that they would not be paid. This proposal gets rid of the time and money invoved in trying to catch illegal immigrants and the process of deporting them. In addition to this money saved, making illegal immigrants citizens increases tax income for the country by taxing 11 million more people. This would return our country back into the melting pot it once was. No one, except for the Native American's, families originated from this country! We are all immigrants in some way! The article did not say if these illegal immigrants would become citizens? After declaring themselves; and paying back taxes and fines. They should become eligible to become an American citizen.
  • u
    BelinKS
    !
    @Denizen_Kate
    I am not a bureaucrat. At first people just showed up in the new country, then they switched immigration to become a citizen to Ellis Island no money involved except their expense to get here. Now it is hard for anyone except for people from anywhere but Western Europe. Most Americans could not pass the citizenship test. I just want these people to become citizen of the US. I was just suggesting a way for that to happen. Most could not come up with a large sum of money. My suggestions could fix that problem. I also would like to know how the govt could come up with the amount of back taxes owed. I would also like to know how much the fine would be and if the fine would be higher because of wives and children. Also, could they then become citizens? They would have a lot of studying to do. I took the quiz could you pass the citizenship test. I scored 100%,, but I am college educated with two semesters of American History and that quiz was just a few questions. The real test has over a hundred.
  • Denizen_Kate
    !
    @BelinKS - I aced that quiz, too. No college, but where I grew up, we had to be able to pass a test on the constitution in order to graduate from 8th grade. The test was an all-day thing, really huge, with a written portion, but you also had to face a panel of three teachers who would ask random questions, and you were expected to not only know the law of the land, but give examples as to how that law was applied. Most of today's college graduates would fail that test.
  • Neo_NtheMatrix
    !
    I have all kinds of problems with this amnesty legislation obama is proposing. The most pertinent question I have though is why isn't there any talk about securing the borders? I can't even have a conversation about any other aspect of the amnesty bill if we don't first talk about preventing this problem from being an ongoing issue.
  • u
    tomincali
    !
    wow, what a way to prove to the world we are a country of laws.

    let this thing get so out of control by not enforcing laws and then reward those who broke the laws.not to leave out telling the world all Americans citizens are too lazy to work so illegal aliens are having to do the jobs. all this will do which has already been proven is ring the bell for more illegal aliens to flood in and keep the cycle going until we may as well hook up with mexico and canada calling us the north american union.
  • favefave
    !
    I think we already are the north american union. US economy can't survive without immigrant labor or China. Hahaha, and that is thanks to your government, or are going to blame immigrants for that too.
  • u
    tomincali
    !
    @favefave we do not need illegal aliens labor that is a myth. shame someone would think because others have let them get away with breaking laws for so long they are needed or even owed,showing by their demands that should never be heard by those in office.

    we have great laws in place now the only thing missing is those who are paid to enforce have failed yet collected a check and those who try are sued by a president who has gone against his oath of office.
  • DARSB
    !
    Jon Stewart had a wonderful joke about the "deport 'em" idea so many folks seem to think could actually be practical. "Remember Elian Gonzales? How easy that was? Times that by 12 million."
  • stepped_in_it
    !
    "The White House does not consider the plan an amnesty because it would require immigrants who want to obtain legal status to pay fines and back-taxes"
    Ok, kewl beans. BUT, what about the ones that won't/don't want to obtain their citizenship? The ones who don't want to pay for the "fines and back taxes". Are we gonna chase 'em down, tattoo their forehead and send them back or are we gonna do this all over (again) in 6-8 years?(believe it when I see it)
  • jessejaymes
    !
    You are 100% correct. this is pie in the sky BS. They aren't going to pay fines or back taxes or pay back welfare. Why should they? They don't care if they're legal or not. Nobody is going to do anything to them. They know we can't round up 15 million people and stuff them back into their home countries. let's get real here. This is all about votes and the Dems are solidifying their base. It's nothing more than that. pure BS.
  • marine1
    !
    @jessejaymes I think Hoover,Truman and Eisenhower did just that? With todays technology, it should be a lot easier. Put OUR people back to work first.
  • jessejaymes
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    @marine1 Of course you're correct but you and I both know that this country is being taken down and the middle class being destroyed. It's a lot easier to take a country to third world standards if you import a bunch of third world people who don't really know any different and have shown no inclination in their home country to fight back against govt corruption and the ultra rich greed. it is what it is man. The dumbing down of America is by design.
  • marine1
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    @jessejaymes You know what i think it is, is that the rich know that their kids will alway be higher up on the food chain and they could give a shit less about our kids.

  • View all 6 replies >

  • marine1
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    There is so much contention amongst legal folks of this country,why in the hell are we even thinking about adding 12,000,000 more to an already failing system?
  • artjeb
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    The MEXICAN border is patroled & the ratio is 5000 mex to i borderpatrolman. Is that fair ?The mexicans are smart. they can swim the rio grand when there is no water in it. Thats why the border states are MEXED up.
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