White House prepares for immigration overhaul battle The Obama administration is rallying allies to push for a package with better border security and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants now in the U.S. The effort is sure to be a tough sell. By Peter Nicholas and Tom Hamburger December 30, 2009
Reporting from Washington
With the healthcare battle still unfinished, the Obama administration has been laying plans to take up an issue that could prove even more divisive -- a major overhaul of the nation's immigration system.
Senior White House aides privately have assured Latino activists that the president will back legislation next year to provide a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.
In a recent conference call with proponents, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina, political director Patrick Gaspard and others delivered the message that the White House was committed to seeing a substantial immigration bill pass and wanted to make sure allies were prepared for the fight.
In addition to the citizenship provision, the emerging plan will emphasize efforts to secure U.S. borders against those trying to cross illegally. But that two-track approach was rejected repeatedly in the past by Republicans and other critics who insist that a border crackdown must demonstrate its effectiveness before any action on citizenship is considered.
Whatever proposal Obama puts forward will probably meet equally determined opposition. Another complication is the calendar: Midterm elections are in November, and polls show that the public is more worried about joblessness and the fragile economy than anything else.
So embracing an immigration bill is a gamble for the White House, which already has a packed agenda for 2010: economic recovery, global warming legislation and tougher regulation of financial institutions.
No matter what the environment, immigration is a tough sell, said Democratic pollster Geoff Garin.
"We know from a lot of experience that immigration reform has been and can be a very polarizing issue. There are heated differences about whether there ought to be some kind of pathway to citizenship for people who entered the country illegally," he said.
"And my sense from the public-opinion research is people care more about vindicating their position than they do about getting the issue solved."
Between Health-Care, Cap and Trade, and trying to find a back door for amnesty for illegals he's going to lose a lot more support and any Dem that goes along will be looking for a job at the peoples earliest convenience. The administration knows that they are running out of time and will try to pass as much of their agenda as they can before Nov 2010.
Immigration rally scheduled in Washington March 19, 2010 10:41 a.m. EDT
Washington (CNN) -- Thousands of people are expected to pour into Washington for a Sunday rally demanding immigration reform, launching the first public battle over the issue since the announcement of a new bipartisan plan endorsed by President Obama. While the nation will be focused largely on a more immediate debate -- an expected vote over health care reform -- the march on the National Mall will be setting the stage for a fight over another of the most contentious issues facing the country. The organization Reform Immigration for America, which supports a path to citizenship for those in the United States illegally, says the changes it wants to see will help bring about "economic justice for all Americans." In response, the Federation for American Immigration Reform -- which staunchly opposes amnesty -- called on Americans to contact their representatives and demand tougher borders and an end to illegal immigration. FAIR says it seeks "effective, sensible immigration policies that work for America's best interests." "The American people deserve more than empty rhetoric and impractical calls for mass deportation," the two senators behind the new immigration plan wrote Friday in the Washington Post. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, lay out broad ideas for fixing a "badly broken" system. "Our plan has four pillars: requiring biometric Social Security cards to ensure that illegal workers cannot get jobs; fulfilling and strengthening our commitments on border security and interior enforcement; creating a process for admitting temporary workers; and implementing a tough but fair path to legalization" for the 11 million immigrants in the United States illegally, the two lawmakers wrote. The plan will "require an effective employment verification system that holds employers accountable for hiring illegal workers," the senators write, including a "tamper-proof ID system." The plan also would create "a zero-tolerance policy for gang members, smugglers, terrorists and those who commit other felonies after coming here illegally." "Ending illegal immigration, however, cannot be the sole objective of reform," they wrote. "Developing a rational legal immigration system is essential to ensuring America's future economic prosperity." After meeting with Schumer and Graham -- both powerful figures within their parties -- earlier this week, President Obama issued a statement saying he was "pleased" to see their "promising, bipartisan framework which can and should be the basis for moving forward. It thoughtfully addresses the need to shore up our borders, and demands accountability from both workers who are here illegally and employers who game the system." The "critical next step," Obama said, is turning the framework into legislation. He called on Congress "to act at the earliest possible opportunity." The push forward on immigration also helped the president woo a key vote for health care reform. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois, agreed to support the House health care bill after meeting with Obama and discussing immigration reform. "After extensive discussions with the president, I believe we have a health care bill I can vote 'yes' for, and I believe we have a commitment to move forward on a comprehensive immigration reform package as soon as possible," Gutierrez said in a statement Thursday. Gutierrez added that he believes Obama "gets that we cannot ensure the health of our nation if we continue to ignore the 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the shadows. And he agrees that if we are going to have health care that works, if we are going to have a system that cuts costs and streamlines the delivery and keeps our children healthy, then we fundamentally need to enact comprehensive immigration reform." Estimates of how many illegal immigrants are in the country vary. In January, the Department of Homeland Security said the number "decreased to 10.8 million in January 2009 from 11.6 million in January 2008."
Along with this immigration plan will come Social Security benefits paid for by who?
Dont worry about Social Security,,,,that is the easy part.....we can add value to ANYTHING..a check, an ATM/Debit/Credit card, buttons, units, whatever.....
I would be worrying about 'the papers'(RealID/biosID etc) we will be forced to show.......the ONLY way to prove a fraudulent citizen is to get everyone on board in 'the system' to prove legal citizen.....dont think it cant go beyond immigrant stats......are you legal because you took your zocor, are you legal because the government has access to your account to gather taxes, are you fraudulent because you ate a greasy burger......the list is endless....
WHAT IS OUR VALUE?
MONEY,,,,,,OR,,,,,FREEDOM
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
There's no stopping Obama now. He is emboldened after his Obamacare victory. Hope many conservatives win congressional seats in Nov. to slow Obama and Pelosi down a bit.
Work for the candidates running against Tonko, Murphy, Gillibrand and Schumer, and work hard, as if your life depended on it, because your life just might depend on getting these socialists out of office.
If you have never been a political activist, become one NOW!
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