Jeff Flake and Luis Guitierrez introduced the STRIVE Act of 2007, a comprehensive immigration reform bill that will be sponsored in the Senate by John McCain and Ted Kennedy. Here’s at-a-glance information on the bill, as put out by its sponsors:
Securing our borders
The STRIVE Act increases enforcement personnel on the border. It also requires a thorough evaluation of information-sharing, international and federal-state-local coordination, technology, anti-smuggling, and other border security initiatives to ensure that we are doing everything possible to bolster border security. The Gutierrez-Flake bill also calls for the development of multilateral partnerships to establish a North American security perimeter and improve border security on the Mexican southern border.Strengthening interior enforcement
The Gutierrez-Flake bill increases penalties for crimes committed by immigrants, including those related to smuggling and gang activities. The legislation includes provisions to combat passport and visa fraud, and it increases penalties for trafficking in fake documents. The bill also stiffens penalties related to illegal immigration.Bolstering employment verification
The STRIVE Act sets up an employment verification system whereby employers would be required to confirm each potential employee’s eligibility to work. The new system would eventually apply to all workers and all new hires, and would be rolled out in phases, beginning with critical infrastructure employers and large employers. The legislation increases penalties against employers who do not comply with the new system.New worker program that reflects realities of our workforce
The Gutierrez-Flake bill sets up a new worker program for low-skilled workers, when a U.S. worker cannot be found to fill a needed job. It addresses the failures and problems with past worker programs and charts a new course that better protects workers, while more effectively and efficiently meeting the needs of employers. The program mandates strong workplace protections. In addition, employers would be required to provide foreign workers with the same wages and working conditions enjoyed by U.S. workers. Workers also would have the ability to change jobs and eventually get on a path to citizenship, if they choose. The worker visa would be valid for 3 years and renewable once.Reforming a broken visa system in a way that protects families
The STRIVE Act overhauls the family-based and employment-based immigration system to reduce backlogs and inefficiencies. The legislation provides opportunities for high skilled workers to come to, and remain in, the U.S. It also addresses employment needs in shortage occupations, such as nursing.Earned legalization for hardworking, deserving individuals
Under the legislation, undocumented workers, who pay a fine and pass extensive and thorough background examinations, would be eligible for conditional status with work and travel authorization for 6 years. If, during those six years, the worker remains employed, continues to be an upstanding member of the community, learns English and civics, and pays any owed taxes, they could be eligible to adjust their status if they leave the country and re-enter legally.The Gutierrez-Flake bill also includes the DREAM Act and AgJobs, as introduced in the 110th Congress.
Miscellaneous
The bill also would increase resources for the immigration court system, provides relief for immigrant victims of the 9-11 attacks and their families, and it facilitates naturalization for members of the armed forces.
Related:
- “[T]his is not blanket amnesty. It is a process that could take 11 years and would subject potential citizens to the most extensive review ever.” [Tucson Citizen]
- Grijalva is a cosponsor: “This bill, while not perfect, begins to recognize the significant contributions immigrants make to our country and how much we all will gain from a more rational and responsible immigration policy.” [house.gov]
- Behind the scenes, the bill’s chances are uncertain. [NYT]
- Gabrielle Giffords: “It’s tough, it’s practical and it’s effective.” [Tucson Citizen]
I question the quality or usefulness of a background check that by its very nature must ignore the crime of crossing borders illegally, working illegally, and almost certainly means breaking a whole host of other laws from identity theft, document forging, and driving without insurance.
I think that it is not perfect but it will help to jumpstart this debate and get all this people out of the shadowes and really know who is here and where they come from….
How could this bill be acceptable to millions of people who are being asked to jump through impossible hoops to become ‘legal’. Why not demand that what is within the purview of ‘legal’ be re-considered. This country is notorious for changing and adapting its laws to accommodate to a changing economy, why not re-consider immigration laws as they stand to accommodate the needs of those people whose labor holds up this economy? it is sad to see how many of us are willing to put our brothers and sisters at risk just so we can have a ‘piece of the pie’.
I think this whole thing is a fraud upon American citizens. Any bill proposed to allow to pass anything allowing those here illegally is a fraud to American Citizens. Especially those in the working blue collar labor industry to cut wages and force American Citizens to compete with the mass flow of legal Immigrants and those here illegally.
It is all about the money saving corporate America billions in wages and the multi-national Corp’s as well who hold stock in those companies. It is all about the bottom line. Not the welfare of American Citizens who struggle to provide for their families.
Where’s the lobbiest for them?
We already have a population explosion going on here in the US that already out paces China. While natural resources arer already a supply in demand driving prices up all across the board, even water is now becoming an issue. The consistant flooding of both illegal and illegals into the US is already causing impacts which eventually cost taxpayers in the long run and more so with any thing Jeff Flake or McCain or Kennedy have to offer is basically the same sales pitch- Just changing the name. Corporate exploitation of the droves and hordes of aliens that will be allowed to come into the US will just add to the welfare programs. Not to fail to mention more people mean more pollution cause by more use of resources water, food ,gas, all on an infrastructure that is already grown outward leaps and bounds while it still is obsolete to handle todays population 1 year after completion. It must now be expanded yet again. Still with no limits on the overall flood of mass immigration into the US every year allowing 250000 more people every 3 months and no cap.
The US already supercides its growth rate by 25 years. Meaning we the US should not have reached the 300 million mark until 2035. We now exceed that growth rate.
Sprawl is already taken over small towns. Land is scoop up and sold off in faster than they can clear it. Our natural wildlifehabitate has been push to the limits of small areas and more and more human encounter with wildlife is enevitable. So much it is hardly mentioned in the media.
It is all about the money rather than preserving our nation with no more frontiers to fill. It is just about the money. Politicians like Jeff Flake are courted by these lobiest bought and paid for. They call it campaign fund raising. Americans call it Bribery and selling out America.
Decriminalizing this takes the coyotes, corporate abuse, and illegal cash payouts out of the equation.
It relieves the tax and emergency room burden.
You have penalize Mexico though for not discouraging the immigration by enriching the work environment in Mexico with fair wage and work standards. You have to punish the rampant corruption.
First you have to punish our corrupt Admin. and set an example though.