News of more possible immigration crackdowns

[lawrence01]

Both parties are pushing immigration crackdown

By EUNICE MOSCOSO

Thursday, March 06, 2008

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are pushing bills that crack down on illegal immigration, keeping the issue alive in Congress during a volatile election year.

In the House, conservative Democrats are asking their party leaders to support an enforcement bill sponsored by freshman Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina.

The legislation, dubbed the Secure America with Verification and Enforcement Act or SAVE Act, would increase the Border Patrol by 8,000, train more state and local police to enforce immigration law, and require that all businesses, within four years, use a government program to verify the legal status of their employees.

The program, known as E-Verify, is currently voluntary. Businesses and civil-rights groups have argued that the poor quality of some government databases poses a major problem for the program.

Shuler said that his legislation is a bi-partisan solution to the pressing problem of illegal immigration that costs taxpayers millions in schooling, health care, and incarceration costs.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, Republicans introduced 15 immigration enforcement bills this week.

They include measures to make English the nation's official language, to prevent illegal immigrants from getting driver's licenses, to deport immigrants convicted of drunk driving offenses, and to withhold federal money for cities that have so called "sanctuary" policies that direct police and local officials not to check the immigration status of residents using city services.

A bill by Georgia Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson would clarify the authority of state and local police to enforce immigration law and expand training in the area.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/shared/news/IMMIG_ENFORCE07_AUS.html

[RGN1]

where on this entire earth could we sneak into another country and take advantage of their welfare system, their health care system, obtain a drivers license, not pay taxes, etc, etc...and live happily ever after? :angryfire

the uk!!! as sd said - she always beats me to it you know!

it's dreadful - they get off the train from europe - heavily pregnant, or ill with some chronic disease & head to the nearest hospital. i wish i was making that up!! then they want housing, benefits etc, etc & they get it!!! i don't know how but i reckon there are businesses in some countries that run on giving advice to people on how to get into the uk illegally & get everything they can out of it - meanwhile the uk tax payer pays ever more & more for worse & worse service!:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire

the government is introducing a points system based on the australian model but you can bet your bottom dollar some human rights person will get it watered down & it doesn't even apply to european union citizens anyhow.

it can't go on & i, for one, am getting out - legally i might add:lol2:

so i say good on the senate because i'm sure if i was in the usa, legally and/or as a citizen i would be happy for such legislation.

as a nurse who has an approved i-140 & a good job offer in a busy hospital waiting for me - which i can't get to because the immigration system's all clogged up - i can even see that clearing out illegals might open the path up for those who want to come over legally. even if it doesn't it's still a good thing.

[RGN1]

I find it so sad that things like this happen as it is usually the citizens from the country that suffer. I also get angry when I see people think it is their given right to demand treatment when they have paid absolutely nothing towards the health care of that country. Don't get me wrong if they are on holiday and something happens then fine I have no issues it is when they know they are doing it that gets me mad

:yeahthat:

Most people on holiday should have travel insurance (if they don't they are liable for the bill) so it shouldn't be an issue. My daughter needed sutures when we were on holiday some years back but we were properly covered so no US person was out of pocket! Neither would I have expected them to be!

The only trouble we had was that the US hospital's computer system didn't recognise our UK address so the bill was late being paid because they kept sending the invoice to London Ontario!! Some bright spark in the accounts decided that that must have been what we meant!:smackingf