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 Post subject: Mixed local reactions to immigration compromise
PostPosted: Sat May 19, 2007 10:19 pm 
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Location: La Porte, IN
Mixed local reactions to immigration compromise

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Daniel Przybyla, 1-866-362-2167 Ext. 13865, dprzybyla@heraldargus.com


An alliance of Senate liberals, conservatives and the White House struck a deal on an immigration reform bill Thursday that would allow up to 12 million illegal immigrants to become legal and remain in the country.

In exchange, the lawmakers agreed to build a vast wall along the Mexican border, double the nation’s border patrol and institute other enforcement controls.

The deal was hailed as historic by both sides, and President Bush said the proposal would “help enforce our borders, but equally importantly, it’ll treat people with respect.”

The bill, which was still being tweaked Friday night, is expected to be brought up in the Senate for debate Monday.

It would immediately grant undocumented immigrants the right to come forward and get four-year, renewable, non-immigrant Z visas, after paying $5,000 in fees and fines.

Within 18 months it would create a revamped immigration system that includes a temporary-worker program.

That would grant hundreds of thousands of visas annually to people who could come to the U.S. for three two-year stays, with at least a year in between each stint.

Here in La Porte, Jose Hernandez, 39, a resident of La Porte who was born in South Bend, praised the proposed legislation.

“It’s about time they do something. It’s a step in the right direction,” he told The La Porte County Herald-Argus on Friday.

Hernandez, a husband and father of three children, has a cousin in the Atlanta area who has been living illegally in the U.S. since 1997. Rather than worry about his status as an illegal immigrant, Hernandez’s cousin, a plumbing contractor, would pay whatever the amount in order to stay in the U.S. with his family.

“My cousin would say, ‘Where can I sign?’ so he can be on the up and up and not live in fear all the time,” Hernandez said.

“He doesn’t want to be breaking the law. He’s got a family that he’s trying to raise. There are a lot of people (like him) who want the opportunity to pay their taxes and to work legally in the U.S.”

On the other hand, Mike Strauss, a La Porte resident who pushed last year for the La Porte City Council to target illegal immigrants, doesn’t like the Senate’s proposal, particularly the provision that would allow 12 million immigrants being permitted to stay in the country.

“I think it’s very un-American. We have a legal way to enter for a reason. It would (also) be devastating to our city and county economies,” Strauss said.

The legislation would also start a point system for new immigrants, granting preference to people with advanced degrees and technical skills, rather than to relatives of immigrants already in the country.

But beyond the Z visa, none of the new provisions would be allowed to take effect until the federal authorities get all the clampdowns in the bill in place.

Among the border-tightening measures would be 370 miles of fence, 200 miles of vehicle barriers and 70 towers for radar and video surveillance.

The bill would launch a swipe-card system to let employers make sure workers are legal by matching them to a photo database. And it proposes tougher penalties for businesses that hire illegals.

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