Immigration

In The President’s speech today on immigration he said the House refuses to pass the Senate Bill and that is the holdup. I decided to check out the Senate Bill and here are the key points. If you're an undocumented immigrant who arrived in the United States before Dec. 31, 2011, haven't committed a felony (or three misdemeanors), hold a job, and pay a $500 fine and back taxes, then you will immediately gain the status of "registered provisional," allowing an individual to legally stay in the United States without risk of deportation After six years, you'd have to renew the status, which is dependent on maintaining a steady work history, having a clean criminal record, and paying another $500 fine. Four years after that (10 years after initially attaining "registered provisional" status), you could apply for permanent residency (aka a Green Card). That step requires showing constant work history, constant presence in the United States, continuous tax payments, clean criminal record, and knowledge of English and civics, as well as paying another $1,000 fine. Upon reading that I feel it is reasonable but there are two reasons why the House will not vote on this bill. First they do not feel these provisions will be enforced but second and more important it does not close the border. They remember when President Reagan gave amnesty to 3 million illegals with the promise that the border would be closed but it never happened. They feel that this is a road to citizenship for those here and in ten years there will just be another such vote and illegals will continue to come across the border. Just as the number coming across increased after the Reagan bill they feel the same thing will happen again.