Dems’ immigration reform: Pay your taxes, learn the language, you can stay

By Stephen C. Webster
Saturday, November 14th, 2009 -- 3:08 pm
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usmexicoborder Dems immigration reform: Pay your taxes, learn the language, you can stayHomeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has unveiled the Obama administration's plan to reform immigration. Key among the proposals are rules that would allow the current undocumented population to stay in the United States, provided they take a number of steps like learning English and paying back taxes, according to published reports.

"The hope is that when we get into the first part of 2010, that we will see legislation begin to move," Napolitano said, according to The Los Angeles Times.

"An immigration reform bill that includes citizenship for undocumented immigrants is expected to be filed in the House as early as next month by Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he will file a bill in the Senate early next year," The San Antonio Express-News. "He favors a citizenship plan, but also wants increased border security measures."

Napolitano made the announcement during a Friday speech to the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.

Under the administration's proposed rules, in order to become a citizen an undocumented person must register with the government, undergo a criminal background check, pay all back taxes and fees and learn to speak English.

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The Homeland Security secretary called the process a "tough path" to becoming a U.S. citizen, but credited it as a system of immigration "that works." She added that President Obama had personally asked her to take point on this issue.

"[In] order to have fully effective law enforcement, we need Congress to create the legal foundation for bringing the millions of illegal immigrants in this country out of the shadows, require them to register and pay all taxes they owe, and enforce the penalties that they will have to pay as part of earning legal status," Napolitano added. "Let me emphasize this: we will never have fully effective law enforcement or national security as long as so many millions remain in the shadows."

The undocumented immigrant community is roughly 10 million strong in the United States, the Pew Hispanic Center estimates [PDF link]. The study found that while a vast majority of immigration from Mexico is illegal, Mexicans make up just 57 percent of the total undocumented population. Pew also noted that some 1.7 million of that population are under the age of 18.

This video was produced by the Center for American Progress, published Friday, Nov. 13, 2009.

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Story comments are below...
  • michaelmcleary
    This is absurd. The undocumented immigrants that are here should be told to move to their home countries. This statement only encourages millions more to come, flood our schools, emergency rooms, take jobs, take seats in state colleges, take food stamps, etc. Ask them to leave. This is an absurd thing to do while in a recession, with 10 percent unemployment. What a kick in the face to the american worker!
  • edwards_com
    How does Learn English, get a self supporting job & pay your taxes like others or else be sent home 'encourage them' to come here, do nothing & collect food stamps?
  • greg789
    The real unemployment rate is higher, something like 17 percent. The numbers on illegals is higher too, maybe 17 million. Add a couple of million H1A, H1B and Green Card holders to the mix. If the government and Wall Street can't export your job to china, they will import the cheap labor to this country. Both parties do it. Time for a populist third party.
  • Elim
    It's more like 22%. We do need a third party.
  • Stephen Martin
    Exactly. Recession, 10 percent unemployment. No medical care. No wonder we don't have MORE immigrants!?! This ain't your pappy's country anymore. Some of them are starting to leave and you'll be able to have a chance now with the mop and bucket. Hope that makes you happy.
  • dr01
    So if we asked 10 million people to leave what do you think that will do to our economy? Although many believe illegals do not pay taxes, that is far from the truth. They pay taxes using fake SS#' or someone else's but, they do. Also, if we asked them to leave,how many would? To deport them would be costly to the American worker and to round them all up is just not possible.
  • GoldWinger
    First, we need to kick out all the illegals. Secondly, we need to change the citizenship rules so that you're only a citizen if your alien parents were here LEGALLY. That way we don't have a 1 month old citizen with illegal parents.

    Next we need to stop importing technical and medical people. Something like 60,000 special visas get issued each year to bring "special" people in. That's 60,000 jobs that could have gone to Americans of any heritage.
  • OldAtlantic
    Right on. Search Medicare fraud "foreign doctors".
  • ohioliberal
    As an Obama supporter and campaigner, a 50's life long liberal all I can say regarding this topic is that Obama and I will part company on this issue. I am not for amnesty of any sort except that if the illegal aliens have to get "in the back of the line" that the actual "back of the line" is in their native country. What I want for this country is the full adoption of Mexico's own immigration laws. Talk about your double standards!!
  • CodpieceWatch
    The real unemployment rate is 17.5%, there are 47.5 million living in poverty in our country and 47 million without health insurance. I'm not against immigration, but I AM against ILLEGAL immigration and rewarding bad behavior - especially at a time when so many of us are unemployed. I'm tired of the old, "Well the illegals do the jobs Americans don't want to do, and how'd ya like to pay $10 for a head of lettuce?" crap. I'd rather pay $10, than a lifetime of free health care, free schooling, incarceration, and seeing most of their tax free cash going south of the border (that is Mexico's 2nd largest source of income). Estimates put the illegals at at least 20 million, not 10, and a recent international Zogby poll says that Mexicans believe themselves believe that amnesty would prompt more people to enter the U.S. illegally. 56 percent of respondents thought that legalizing the status of illegal immigrants in the U.S. would make it more likely that people they know would go there illegally. It also found that interest in immigrating to the U.S. remains strong, despite the recession, and that 36 percent of Mexicans say they would move north if they could. That percentage represents 39 million people. We cannot afford to take on that many people, and it's time America had a bleeding heart for her OWN citizens.
  • Disenfranchised
    Hmmmm "Pay your taxes" and "learn english" you can stay? LMFAO WOW

    I'm sure they'll get right on that. And I'm EQUALLY sure that fixes the whole problem.

    Problem solved everyone, now move on.

    And to think I have been seriously pondering moving out of this SHITHOLE of a country. I think I'll stay because it looks like the Democrats are on the ball after 8 years of the worst President in American history.

    OH FUCK WAIT....do you guys detect extreme sarcasm?????????

    I have come to a point in which I LOATHE 95% of Congress. And when I say LOATHE, I mean I respect maggots more.

    "Pay your taxes" and "Learn you some engrish"????? You Republican and Democrat traitorous scumbags on the Hill. You lowly garbage eating worms. I can't take you any longer.
  • Tyke
    Don't let the border hit your a$$ on the way out. We are better off without Anti American creeps like you, Please go. NOW
  • JPMP
    I'm quite sure you'll like what the Repubs have to say about this!
  • Elim
    This is the most traitorous, unpatriotic shit the Dems have ever come up with.
  • michaelmcleary
    There are tens of millions of Americans who can't find a job, millions of American families going homeless, and this is what the Democrats come up with? I'm sorry but we can't continue to take in the world's poor, share our job market with them, share our tax dollars, get displaced in state colleges by illegal immigrants (currently there are tens of thousands of illegal immigrants attending CA state and UC colleges who caused AMERICAN students to be denied). This sounds like big business is behind this one. Thanks Democrats, go ahead and kick us American workers when we're down. Maybe Republicans are right about the Liberal Elite... out of touch with the effort of having to find a job.
  • edwards_com
    We have plenty of unfilled low wage jobs the Americans refuse to take out of their airs of superiority but the Hispanics will, work their butts off, pay taxes & save to improve their kids chances in the future even save enough to get them into college thanks to their parents sweat.. The Democratic party has nothing to do with this situation. The GOP seem to feel it's owed to them.
  • Elim
    You are wrong about "airs of superiority". Americans refuse to work for slave wages.
  • edwards_com
    That's their choice. The minimum wage in my state is near $9.00 an hour. My friend, Dave, Works 3 jobs. One Full Time & 2 part time (one is just weekends). Why? So his two kids, the next generation, can go to college & have it better than he & his wife. That's how this nation was built. Values change. in the 1800's children HAD to go to school & learn to play the Piano in much of the country. More homes had Piano's than Bath Tubs. Wives cooked 5 meals a day as the men & perhaps a hired hand worked the farms or Construction.
  • morepatience
    Is this similar to the amnesty of the mid-80's? If so, is that now our 20 year recurring plan? 'We'll only take you in batches in addition to the batches we already do' type of thing?
  • edwards_com
    Good point. Why is the 'Acting President' ,Reagan, held as the Conservatives 'con do no wrong' Golden boy to this day after such a deadly fiasco of his one man decision?
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