Thursday, June 7, 2007

Illegal Immigration 11: Loophole After Loophole

Senator Jeff Sessions (Rep, AL) posted a list of 20 loopholes in the current shamnesty bill on his website. This was posted on Monday, so some of these may have been amended in the past two days of debate (I haven't had time to check which, if any), and some of them have been addressed in previous blogs, but I thought it was worth a look anyway.

Here's a summary:
Loophole 1 – Legal Status Before Enforcement: Amnesty benefits don't wait for the so-called enforcement "triggers" before kicking in.

Loophole 2 – U.S. VISIT Exit Not In Trigger: The biometric system (VISIT) voted into being in 1996 has gone well past the already-postponed 2005 implementation date. Without this tracking system, there is no method to track who comes and goes.

Loophole 3 – Trigger Requires No More Agents, Beds, or Fencing Than Current Law: The enforcement trigger does not provide for any additional capacity over what's already in the law.

Loophole 4 -- Three Additional Years Worth of Illegal Aliens Granted Status, Treated Preferentially To Legal Filers: Illegal aliens who came here just 5 months ago are given preferential treatment over foreign nationals who legally applied more than two years ago.

Loophole 5 – Completion of Background Checks Not Required For Probationary Legal Status: This one is self-explanatory.

Loophole 6 – Some Child Molesters Are Still Eligible: This shamnesty bill would prevent illegals who commit child molestation crimes in the future from becoming legal, but allows those who have committed such crimes in the past.

Loophole 7 – Terrorism Connections Allowed, Good Moral Character Not Required: This one needs no interpretation.

Loophole 8 – Gang Members Are Eligible: ...as long as they promise they won't be in a gang anymore...

Loophole 9 – Absconders Are Eligible: Illegals who have already been ordered out of the country can get amnesty. This provision alone would affect more than 600,000 people.

Loophole 10 – Learning English Not Required For A Decade: No hablo Ingles...

Loophole 11 – Earned Income Tax Credit Will Cost Taxpayers Billions In Just 10 Years: $20 billion. Enough said. UPDATE: Sessions offered an amendment to remove this provision, and it was passed.

Loophole 12 – Affidavits From Friends Accepted As Evidence: "I'm Larry, this is my brother Darrell, and this is my other brother Darrell..." Oh, okay, come on in, you're now legal!

Loophole 13 – Taxpayer Funded Legal Counsel and Arbitration: You, the taxpayer, will pay LOTS of money for illegals' lawyers.

Loophole 14 – In-State Tuition and Student Loans: This would give illegal aliens in-state tuition, a better position than legal aliens and out-of-state US citizens.

Loophole 15 – Inadequacy of the Merit System: This is basically a point system that gives priority to highly-skilled and educated applicants. But, it doesn't really kick in until 2016.

Loophole 16 – Visas For Individuals That Plan To Overstay: This provision would allow spouses and children of new temporary workers who intend to abandon their residence country to stay indefinitely by paying a small fine after 30 days.

Loophole 17 – Chain Migration Tripled Before Being Eliminated: Chain migration will be eliminated, but not for 8 years.

Loophole 18 – Back Taxes Not Required: Due to tricky verbage, this one is simply misleading.

Loophole 19 – Social Security Credits Allowed For Some Illegal Work Histories: Aliens who overstayed their legal visas, as well as illegals who didn't qualify for a Z-visa, would still be eligible to draw Social Security benefits for the years they worked here illegally.

Loophole 20 – Criminal Fines Not Proportional To Conduct: I have to just copy this one: "The criminal fines an illegal alien is required to pay to receive amnesty are less than the bill’s criminal fines for paperwork violations committed by U.S. citizens, and can be paid by installment. Under the bill, an illegal alien must pay a $1,000 criminal fine to apply for a Z visa, and a $4,000 fine to apply for a green card. Eighty percent of those fines can be paid on an installment plan. Under the bill’s confidentiality provisions, someone who improperly handles or uses information on an alien’s amnesty application can be fined $10,000. Administration officials suggest that the bill’s “criminal fines are proportionate to the criminal conduct.” Why, then, is the fine for illegally entering, using false documents to work, and live one-tenth the fine for a paperwork violation committed by a government official?"

There are just too many problems with this bill, and it simply cannot be allowed to pass!

There's my two cents.

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