An immigration compromise forged by an alliance of Republicans and Democrats has brought criticism from both sides of the issue inthe Washington area.
The U.S. Senate this week is set to debate the bill, worked out by Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., some GOP senators including Sen. John McCain, Ariz., and President Bush.
Immigration advocates call the deal unworkable and immoral.
Immigration critics say the proposal will reward the 12 million immigrants now in the United States illegally and will not properly punish them.
Stephen Schreiman, of the Maryland State Director of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, said the legislation will die, just as a similar bill fizzled last summer.
“Anything with Ted Kennedy’s name on it is a loser,” Schreiman said. “America doesn’t want it. It’s amnesty, blatant amnesty.”
Jamie Contreras, president of the National Capital Immigration Coalition and an organizer of last year’s massive rallies on the National Mall, urged Democratic Sens. Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski of Maryland and Jim Webb of Virginia to oppose the bill.
“Not only does this proposal violate our basic American principles of fair and equal treatment, it would be completely unworkable.” Contreras said.
Illegal immigrants could come forward on a probationary legal status, but they would not get visas or begin a path to citizenship until the border security improvements and worker identification program were in place.
Immigrants would have to pay a $5,000 fine and a $2,000 processing fee to begin their path to citizenship, which could take up to 13 years. Applicants would have to pass a citizenship test and return to their country to apply for their green card.
Casa of Maryland leaders called the deal a “rich man’s immigration system” that would shift immigrant preference to highly skilled, English-speaking people, and deny American citizens and immigrants the opportunity to bring loved family members into this nation.
