- WASHINGTON - Three Arizona
lawmakers on Friday unveiled a controversial bill that would allow millions
of foreigners, including undocumented immigrants already in the United
States, to live and work in this country with temporary visas.
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- The Republican lawmakers, Sen. John McCain and Reps.
Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake, said their bill would reduce immigrant deaths
on the Mexico-Arizona border, fill the low-skilled-labor needs of businesses
nationwide and improve national security.
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- All three lawmakers acknowledged their bill faces a tough
battle in Congress. They said congressional colleagues and groups wanting
stricter immigration policies already have given them an earful of complaints,
some characterizing such proposals as rewarding undocumented immigrants
for breaking the law.
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- "This bill is not going to satisfy everyone, but
we need to find a compromise on this issue," Kolbe said.
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- McCain, sounding more defiant, said, "To our opponents,
I ask, 'Are you so far away from Arizona that you aren't concerned about
people dying in the desert? What's your proposal?' "
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- Under the bill, two new visa categories would be created
for foreign workers: H-4A and H-4B.
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- The H-4A visa would allow foreigners to work in the United
States for up to six years. They also would be eligible for permanent residency
on their own or through employers. Spouses and children would not be eligible
for the same visa but could receive preference for a visitor's visa.
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- The H-4B visa is aimed at the nation's estimated 9 million
undocumented immigrants. People in this group could remain in the country
for up to three years but would be required to return home before applying
for the H-4A visa. To get an H-4B visa, they would have to pay a $1,500
one-time fine and, among other requirements, could not have a felony or
misdemeanor conviction. Spouses and children would be eligible for the
same visa.
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- Businesses would be allowed to hire such workers only
after advertising the position through a nationwide electronic job registry.
Depending on their workforce size, businesses would pay $500 or $1,000
per worker.
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- Security aspect debated
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- The lawmakers, appearing at a Capitol Hill news conference,
said their bill, which was introduced in both the House and Senate, would
bolster national security because it would allow the government to track
foreign workers.
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- They pointed out that many foreigners already enter and
remain in the country illegally without the government's knowledge of their
whereabouts.
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- "Our borders are not secure," McCain said.
"And no amount of money, equipment or manpower alone will ensure the
safety of our nation."
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- Added Flake: "Our immigration policy is the worst
of all worlds. It encourages people to come here but not go home."
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- The lawmakers said President Bush could sway Congress
to approve the measure.
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- The administration, which has not endorsed the bill,
has shown little enthusiasm for this kind of legislation since the Sept.
11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
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- Instead, it has focused on toughening border security.
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- Hispanic votes coveted
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- McCain, however, suggested that the growing influence
of Hispanic voters could nudge Bush to take up the issue before next year's
presidential election. Bush aggressively courted Hispanic voters during
the 2000 campaign.
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- The largest pool of Hispanic voters are of Mexican descent,
and Mexican nationals, who represent the largest segment of the nation's
legal and undocumented immigrants, would be the biggest beneficiaries under
the bill.
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- Early reaction to the proposal was mixed among immigration
advocates.
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- "This legislation is a serious proposal that should
reinvigorate the immigration reform debate, but the bill will have to be
significantly improved to attract bipartisan support and fix the most vexing
problems plaguing our immigration system," said Frank Sharry, executive
director of the pro-immigrant National Immigration Forum.
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- "It is, however, a breath of fresh air to see border-state
Republicans recognizing the contributions of immigrants, understanding
that the current system is broken and putting forth an important proposal."
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- http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0726guestworker26.html
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