I read this at MVRWC; it's not perfect, but it seems to address some of the issues that irk us conservatives regarding the amnesty bill.
Although I like to ask people who criticize ideas or programs "How would you solve this problem?", I can honestly say that I haven't a clue. Millions and millions of illegals in this country is a huge problem in my opinion, and saying "ok, well, you guys get to stay here because we can't figure out what else to do with you" shouldn't be an option.
But, before anything else, seal the borders. "Where's the fence?", it says on the back of my truck. Richard likes to tell me that when you've dug yourself into a hole, the first thing that you must do is stop digging. By not securing our own borders of our country, we are continuing to dig ourselves deeper.
Following is from the L.A. Times <<
It beats a blank.The new bill addresses major issues in immigration but it also turns a microscope on smaller issues that particularly frustrate conservatives. It would ban the use of matricula consular cards, identification cards issued by Mexican consulates and used by immigrants to open bank accounts or buy homes. It would make three convictions for drunk driving grounds for deportation.
The bill would require the deployment of at least 18,000 more border patrol agents by Dec. 31, 2008. It would also require the full implementation of US-VISIT, a long-troubled program that is meant to track entries and exits by land, sea and air.
American citizens would be affected by many of the changes proposed for workplace enforcement, including the mandatory database checks of employee eligibility, the creation of tamper-proof birth certificates and a nationwide electronic system for tracking birth and death records.
Smith said the bill would also allow for greater information sharing among the Homeland Security Department, the Social Security Administration and the Treasury Department to identify illegal immigrants. “One of the problems we have is that databases don’t mix,” Smith said. “We have to correct that … if you’re going to have any kind of worker verification program.”
Another section would modify an existing guest worker program for agriculture alone, lowering current pay requirements and no longer obligating farmers to provide housing for foreign workers. “There’s a consensus that foreign workers are needed in the agriculture sector,” said Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.).
Workers would not be able to bring their family and would not be able to gain citizenship, and one-quarter of their wages would be held in escrow to be picked up at the border when they returned home. They could stay for up to 22 months at a time and could participate repeatedly in the program but would have to return home between work periods for a duration of one-fifth the length of their stay in the U.S.
The bill would require the detention and deportation of all gang members. Currently, gang members are not deportable unless they have committed a crime. Those from some countries can hold special immigration status, while others can stay in the U.S. as asylum seekers. The bill would close those harbors and enable tougher sanctions against gang members by adopting State Department procedures used against terrorist groups.
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