GOP bill would force illegal aliens to leave
By PATRINA A. BOSTIC
COX NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON -- Two border-state Republican senators proposed legislation yesterday that would require every illegal immigrant -- estimated at 10 million -- to leave the United States and return to the nation they came from within five years.
The bill, by Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Jon Kyl of Arizona, would establish temporary work permits renewable for up to six years and would require employers to provide health insurance to workers. It also calls for tougher border security and law enforcement measures.
Undocumented immigrants would be required to depart the United States voluntarily and re-enter through legal channels, by applying for permanent residency or a temporary work permit.
"We have promised, as part of this bill, to remove the obstacles to the qualifying individuals to re-enter the country and to establish themselves legally," Cornyn told reporters. He said most of the immigrants would "realize that we really are serious, not just about forcing them to leave the country, but we're serious about opening legal channels so that people who want to work and who are needed by the American economy can work and live in the United States, that we will provide them a path to do so."
The measure, which the senators hope to bring to a full vote in the fall, contrasts with the McCain-Kennedy immigration bill introduced in May that would pave the way for illegal immigrants already in the United States to obtain legal employment status and citizenship.
John Keeley, director of communications for the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates stricter immigration controls, said the Cornyn and Kyl bill gives illegal immigrants too much time to leave the country.
"One level of concern is that it gives illegal immigrants five years to leave the country. We would have preferred to see the lawmakers support a stricter spirit of enforcement, as opposed to this generous leeway for lawbreaking. Five years is a long period of time during which a lot can happen politically for this population."
Poster Comment:
- This is nothing but a veiled shot at amnesty for the criminals.