Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Senate Sell-out: Immigration Reform S1348

S 1348 appears to be be an amnesty immigration bill hastily developed behind closed doors. The proposed immigration reform bill bypasses all normal processes for bill review and passage. This has caught the American public off guard with the goal of pushing it through fast. This "immigration reform bill" contains the identical set of broken promises to secure the borders and enact penalties for employers who hire illegal aliens that we've heard countless times over the past 20 years.

"The bill reneges on promises that amnesty would never again be offered to people who are in this country illegally; it violates commitments that Congress has made to protect the interests of American workers; and it compromises the security of this nation by granting legal status to people who may pose a threat to the nation. Adding to the betrayal, this surrender of the public interest was negotiated by senators who had personally pledged, as recently as last year, never to agree to any bill that includes amnesty." -- FAIR President Dan Stein.

S. 1348 Provisions


  • Immediate legal status and citizen benefits for 12+ million illegal aliens (Z-visas);
  • Admission of 400,000 additional "guest workers" plus dependents every year;
  • Grants amnesty to those who have broken the law, dramatically increases worker visas, and otherwise imposes impossible administration burdens on a currently dysfunctional system;

What S. 1348 Doesn't Have

  • Tougher penalties and enforcement requirements employer hiring illegal workers;
  • Clear and affordable enhanced border security measures;
  • What the proposed measures will cost and how they will be implemented and monitored over time;

Read FAIR's full analysis of the Z visa - a new visa in S. 1348 just for illegal aliens (PDF).