Immigration Bill -the Good, the Bad & the Ugly

Cross posted from Free Constitution

The good the bad and the ugly about the Immigration Reform Bill, and the National Guard's exercise in the desert:

The Good, from FNC :

Heeding conservative demands to shore up the southern U.S. border to prevent illegal immigrants from freely crossing into the country, the Senate voted Wednesday to build 370 miles of triple-layered fence

Senators voted 83-16 to add fencing and 500 miles of vehicle barriers along the southern border.

Construction of the barrier would send "a signal that open-border days are over. … Good fences make good neighbors, fences don't make bad neighbors," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. He said border areas where barriers already exist have experienced economic improvement and reduced crime.

Earlier in the day, the Senate unanimously approved an amendment that says legal or illegal immigrants who are convicted of a felony or three misdemeanors unrelated to their residency status will be deported immediately.

Those convicted will be permanently barred from the guest worker program or any chance of getting on a path to U.S. citizenship.(via Uncooperative Blogger)

The Bad:

. ..the Senate rejected by 66 to 33 an amendment offered by Senator David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana, that would have denied citizenship chances to illegal immigrants who have been in the United States more than two years.

The too little talked about vague guest-worker program, or loophole amnesty is very much so on the table. Many Republicans don't want to cross the President, though many others have. Needless to say the majority of Democrats are strongly against imposing fairness in the path to citizenship.

The Ugly:

"This is not amnesty, so let's get the terms right," Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska lectured fellow Republicans who condemned the bill. "Come on. Let's stop the nonsense."

Democrat Edward Kennedy said building barriers "sends a wrong measure about who we are and what we stand for as Americans."

Los Angeles radio personality Renan Almendarez "El Cucuy" Coello strolled the Senate halls, delivering a tacit warning to lawmakers by telling them about his campaign to register 1 million new voters before the November elections.

And the National Guard, guarding our nation?

"The Department of Homeland Security is in the lead role, but Guard units may provide assistance such as mobile communications, transportation, logistics training and construction. Military forces will not be involved in apprehension or detention of illegal immigrants," Rumsfeld said.

Not to mention the unarmed status of our Guard, and the ropes tying their hands.

Guarding is one word not in their orders.


**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let me know at what level you would like to participate.