This proposal is nearly identical the the failed 2006/2007 Amnesty that the cheap labor lobby tried to ram down our throats.

This proposal once again rewards lawbreakers with citizenship, increases legal immigration over the current massive 1 million immigrants a year further depressing wages and stealing job opportunities from working class Americans, and wants to scrap the present E verify system and start over. Of course, the ACLU has vowed to take any worker verification system to court.

There is no immigration problem that needs to be "fixed".

Immigration was "fixed" in 1986 when we gave amnesty to over 3 million illegals in exchange for strict enforcement of our laws so we would never need to give another amnesty..

The problem is not immigration, but the unwillingness by those that profit from immigration to enforce our laws.Unless you "fix" the problem of weasels refusing to enforce our laws or abide by their promises, no amount of fine words or "fixing" will ever accomplish a thing.

As for the millions here illegally, and what will happen to them if we cut off their jobs and benefits? they will go home. There will be ranting and raving and gnashing of teeth and calling those that enforce the laws all sorts of terrible names, but they should save their drama for those that caused the problem, which are those that refused to enforce the laws and those that broke them.

read vdare every day and join numbersusa

This will, in fact, be the 8th amnesty given since Regan's "one time only" amnesty in '86; Politicains are such suck up liars; until we vote on & pass term limits, we are only going to get the same old BS, & people buy in to all the time.

We don't need to "overhaul" the immigration laws. We need to enforce the ones that are already on the books; we need to pass a version of E-verify that will be retroactive, allowing it to id illegals already working; it also needs to be mandatory for all US employers, & not just those who are awarded Fed & State govt. contracts; We need to reverse Plyer vs. Doe, the 1982 SCOTUS decision that made provision of free education to the children of illegals mandatory; we need to do away with birthright citizenship (anchor babies); We need to stop providing free legal council & subsidized housing. In short, we need to de-magnatize the magnate that brings illegals to the US of A. We DON'T need another "committee of fat, overpaid, overfed politicians & their lap dogs "overhauling" our immigration laws, other than what I've outlined above. I guarantee illegal immigrants in Mexico & other places in the world don't get treated nearly as well as we treat them. This BS in the article is, once again, all about votes. Politicians are worse than plague carrying fleas. The fleas don't get paid to infect Americans.

What is there to overhaul? Really? Let 'em in sign 'em and tax them! We all were immigrants at one time or another stop kidding yourself and get down off the high horse. We don't need fences we needs clerks at the border taking names and photos. Then the only ones that will try to cross through the woods will be the drug dealers.

So will the amnesty include people who have been deported several times and are now back living here?

Building walls and fences goes against everything that is truly American. Give me your tired, your hungry, your poor? Is kicking out other humans the right thing? Is this what your God, Jesus or Savior would want done to other humans? Tolerance is a trait of a humans. Intolerance is for animals!

I believe you, Mr D Porter are the last person on earth I would turn to for theological interpretation. You same comments could be applied to our constitution. Are you going to trash it also? We are Americans, we need to start acting like Americans. If people want to live here we should let them. It's what separates us from everyone else in the world!

I Agree! Mr Porter you are clinically brain dead. Your rants only seem to prove Mike's point and thank you for that. People make a nation not borders, walls or fences. Here's an idea, lets build a big wall around your house and you can pretend your the only one here. When you come out we will all run and hide so you can continue the fantasy of being safe from all the law breakers. Clearly you just don't get it! Real problems are not solved with white-out but rather by using unified comprehensive ideas and plans that allow for compromise and long lasting solutions.

No one is special. We already have a Pathway to Citizenship! We have been through this time and time again. Let the 11M immigrants sign up, get in line and wait your turn like everyone else. Allow law enforcement to do their job. The senate has made it clear that it is all about votes and power, not what is right for "we the people". So, now the politicians have 3+ years before the next election… get moving and hire more paper pushers to get them their green cards; get them into English classes; get them on the tax roll and shut up already. Oh yea…and get someone with a brain to control our boarders. John McCain says that it’s so easy …but yet, they won’t do it.... What's up with that John?

As far I understand, to legalize 11 million foreign inmigrants, will be a great mistake, Those new american citizen to be will bring their relatives as usually do, and that will increase the US. population to millions more. At this point the US budgett for social assistance, such as education, wellfare, medic aid and so for can not sustain more people, You have to remember this new commers are unskill, non English speaking with lack of education, nor will bring liquid capital for investments, and so for.
Well, if Mr Obama is ready to absorb this influex of people and shove it, let him do it.

The US government should learn from the Germans in the past, when they recover their economy after world war II "The German Economic Miracle" They brought labors from Spain, Portugal, Greece, Rumania, North Africa, and so for, But with a condition, by signing one year contract to stay in Germany working for a Company as their sponsors with the obligation to send them back once their contract expired, unless their employed laborer was skilled and neccesary for the company' interest, they will apply to remain for another year or more, it was up to the company to decide by apply to the German government to extend their Visa.
A foreign worker could remain in Germany and obtain his citizenship only if he was extremely qualified and a german spoken person by then, other wise this person had to return to his native country.
Besides, Germany use to have employment agencies abroad, run by local employment agents authorized by the german government through thier embassies, Agencies that will screen every migrant worker before being hired.
I was a witness to observe train loads of migrant workers arriving to the industrial cities in Germany.

America is a nation of immigrants. About 1900 when my Ancestors came to this country, they got off the boat at Ellis Island & were welcomed to America. That's what America is all about. Today we make these people jump through hoops. Especially if they come from a Country like Mexico who's people Conservatives are racially bigoted against. If someone runs from a Communist country, we take them in with open arms because it's good propaganda.
What about the legal prostitution mail order bride trade? Some guy pays big bucks for a few years of sex & a sham marriage & as soon as they get citizenship & whatever contractual time agreement is past, they are history.
I say we let everyone in that wants in & deport any of them that commit a felony zero tolerance.

On the boats & on the planes, they're coming to America.
Every time that flag's unfurled, they're coming to America.
To a bright & shining light, through the darkness of their night
Freedom's light burning warm, through the eye of the storm
They're coming to America. TODAY!!! TODAY!!! TODAY!!!!

Legal immigration is how most of our ancestors came to America. They came on ships with papers and were processed when they arrived..They worked their asses off to make it here . Illegal immigration is when you board the back of a cattle truck or you crawl through tunnels or climb over a fence to get here and once you arrive you mooch off of our government. LEGAL IMMIGRANTS came here for the American dream and most achieved it. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS came here for handouts and most have achieved it. If I were in charge of 11 million illegal people, there would be a mass deportation non stop until the gate hit the last one in the ass.

I have more respect for the ones that come in through tunnels, or the back of a cattle truck. They do what they can to get to America. Right wingers think it's OK for a Cuban refugee to try to sneak out of Cuba & sneak into someplace in the Keys, or S. Florida mainland. That' s diff. because it is good propaganda that they fled a country that we propagandize as somewhere people would flee to come here. If some poor Mexican wants to come to AMERICA to bring his Family to the refuge of the world, that's no good because Conservatives don't like HIS kind. Their crystal ball tells them he will be a parasite. Then they wonder how come they lose elections.
Lib talks about them having papers. They usually had minimal documentation. Some falsified. Today they have to jump through hoops of fire to be permitted to stay. It is obviously selective in it's process.

Thank God the Conservatives are unable to see that they are putting the nails in the coffins of Conservativism with every word they speak & write. Thinking people could not have programmed it better. Let them keep on keepin' on with their insanity about the economy, guns, religious superstition, socialism, ethnic immigration blocking of refugees, supresion of the rights due to sexual preferance. I love it. Their small mindedness knows no restraints. Their spoksman get crazier by the day & more vocal. They are destroying themselves & people like Bill Ayers' revolution is being fullfilled by the Conservatives shooing themslves in the head.
My advice to conservatives is, get louder, get more intense, bring it on. We need you to keep showcasing your insanity to middle America that is just waking up to see how Un American you are.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iKEZoY-TMG4
Dirty F'n Hippies- ** Warning contains F bombs**

Wow looks like,some meam comments here. All I know if I were a immigrant and became a citizen the way it has been laid out for years, I would be,pissed off having to go,through,this,long process and take,test that,even us kids can't pass on history. What,a great country this isn't.

The Patch needs to discontinue these "forums" which are not really reasonable opinions but a way for frustrated and ignorant people to vent. This serves no intelligent purpose.

I really do not know what the answer is. I just moved here from Idaho where there are many "non resident citizens" working as farm hands, etc. I knew some of personally as also bred horses. I never met any "drug" dealers just a lot of hard working men and women, some who had been in the US for years. Some of them seem to follow the crops and many of them had families in Idaho and Mexico that they supported. At this time there are several "legal" ways to enter the country. One of them being sponsored by an employer, so come into the country illegally. When I worked for child support enforcement, we would learn that many of men we were looking for as non custodial parents would be deported only to reenter the country time after time. Short of building a wall like the Chinese did, I really do not know how the entire border could be patrolled to keep someone from crossing illegally. Why did I not report the people that I knew personally you may be asking, I also worked for the state processing Food Stamps. There are signs all through out the office and on the food stamp application letting "non resident citizens" know that as long as they do not apply for cash assistance - which is all that the government considers to be welfare-they would not be reported to INS. Food stamps, free or reduced school lunches, and WIC all are programs from the Department of Agriculture. Many years ago it was the old commodities program, where your parents may have gotten cheese and such.

I think that instead of using this media for a confrontation of useless rethoric, we should use it as a constructive medium to help our local and state governments with constructive ideas base on inteligent studies of the problem in order to solve this touchy issue.

Mike, You need to move to a state that caters to the illegals more than FL. does. I lived for 10 years in a state that made it almost impossible for a white American to get a job. When going to a fast food place where most kids get their start we never encountered a white teenager but did have to deal with others that barely spoke English if any. The claim that Americans won't do certain jobs is a false statement. We would certainly do them but can't compete with the illegals that are willing to do those jobs for less then minumim wage because they AREN'T paying taxes. Example: Lawncare company may be owned by a "legal" but employs all illegals so is able to undercut the companies that are hiring and paying taxes on all employees. Another example: We lived across from a duplex that was "purchased" by illegals. Next thing you know there was 30 living on one side and 20 on the other. They never made a payment after moving in nor did they work but managed to have new SUV's and buy food, etc. for the two years it took the bank to boot them out. Protests in that state would be held with our American flag being waved upside down whenever they thought their benefits might be cut off. Just so you know also, Mike, most of the illegals don't want to become citizens for the very fact that they DO NOT want to lose their freebies and pay taxes like the rest of us. They will tell you that to your face. I agree with Liberty Belle and D. Porter!!

I forget to add - "non resident citizens" did not qualify for Food Stamps; however, their children that were born in the US were citizens, and they were eligible for Food Stamps. If mom and dad were no citizens and there was one child, only the child received food stamps. The amount was only for 1 rather than a family of 3. I realized that could be misleading

Re: Tina Joliff, It boils down to the fact ithat we are rewarding the illegals for making it across the border and popping out their ANCHOR babies to recieve those benefits. As far as I'm concerned if the parents or parent is illegal so is the baby. We need to stop rewarding them for making it into the US.

I was an inmigrant when I came to this country 51 years ago, during the Kennedy administration, I was inducted in the army to serve this country during the Viet Nam era, I had to ,because I did enter this copuntry legally in order to continue my estudies
I did not come seeking for emploment, Whenver I stayed all this years serving this country in my profesion, I am retired now living in this wonderful state of Florida, after living for more than 40 years in Washingtron DC.
Despite of all this years I am still a legal permanent resident, I have never acepted to become a US citizen, I do not think I ever will be. Not need.
The reason? I did not raise a family, neither brough any member of my family back at home, enough with me.
As long I pay my taxes and being a good Law abiding resident I will keep my status as a good tenant in this country, God knows, where I will leave my remains
Being a Viet Nam Veteran, and travel almost all over the world, my advice to the people of this county and its government, The best way to stop the influx of ilegal aliens or migran workers, is to help those countries where they come from. by assisting their governments to develope and increase their production to feed their people with soft credits and technical assistance, create comprehensive Laws to deter ilegal entry to this country.

I feel the problem with this thread is people are only looking at the symptom of the problem and not the real problem. The jobs that most illegal immigrants take are for less than minimum wage, and jobs that American's won't take. Because we feel that we deserve at least $7.35/hr /plus benefits for a job that's not worth $7.35/hr. We complain about how our society is changing from a Capitalistic Society to a Socialist society, but then complain about companies acting on their capitalistic nature. The illegal immigrants wouldn't be here if companies were not paying them more than they get in their native counties. We have an over-inflated dollar, because we value the minimal jobs in our society, more than they deserve to be valued. We keep blaming the illegals for an issue that we only have ourselves to blame. But that won't happen, because like in politics (on both sides). We like to blame others then really look at the issues in ourselves.

No.

Well said Mike D. The Smithfield Corp, one of everyone's favorite suppliers of Pig products, buses in illegals from Mexico but in order to look good turns in 10-20 illegals per week to INS. They keep costs low and make INS look good in the process. There are 100's of mid-sized corps that practice this and don't want things to change at all. America created this problem to make money and now it's far easier to blame the victims rather than own up to the truth. Sure, go ahead and take pot shots at the President, your just showing your overwhelming stupidity to the root cause of the issue.

Where does the money come from to pay for 11 million people who are here illegal?
What jobs ? There are no jobs for the more than 8 percent unemployed American's....Where are they going to work? Think, you drones. Think, if it doesn't hurt too much.

Belle,
In the state of Florida and many mid west states you would see these jobs. Why do you think the Cattle, Sugar, etc do so well. The problem is your buying into the same garbage that the media is spewing. There are jobs, just we have people that feel they are too good for them. Maybe you should think, because those who follow the media on both of this broken political system are making people drones. MSNBC, FOX News, and all that other garbage that is being sold as news. The real numbers and data that is available and so is real news.

Beware of Foreign Influence. The POTUS is living proof.

I would suggest to Lutz Patch to print the last comment first rather the old ones first, this way we can read the latest commen printedt, the rest looks like garbage talk

To begin the next round of protest... sign up at "NUMBERS USA" they have an automates system to fire off faxes to all you legislators for your district,town & state. https://www.numbersusa.com/content/

If you can add and multiply, Can you imagine, to legalize Eleven millions of ilegal aliens? that means another Eleven millions o more of their relatives and children to come in the near future, unbelievable, would you agree with your government on this matter? How about the national and local budget will be then, Can they afford to pay their education, health, jobs, police to control their ilegal activities an so for.
You better write your congresman or women

Amend the Constitution so that the 13th Amendment doesn't apply to illegals. They'll leave.

Everyone write, call and tweet to your Congress person. No legalization. No amnesty. Build them huts along the border, let them work the fields if they want but no USA assistance .

I love these conservative talking about immigrants with the tone that they are referring to Hispanic people. Keep hammering those nails into the Conservative coffin. They never stop ailenating ( no pun intended ) everyone tht isn't a selfish, small minded, bigoted, violent prone, exclusionary religious wack job, like themselves. They call those among them with common sense RINOs. The ones they call RINOs have survival of their breed in mind, so they are trying to tone down the hell bent for destruction of the extreme right before it kills Conservativism forever. These zealot crazys, however gain momentum as they showcase their insanity in no mistaken attempt to commit political suicide. The more they become a minority, the more over the top insane they act out. I freakin' love it.

With these comments, it is sort of keeping with these, so called, Americans to just let the Statue of Liberty keep rotting in the harbor as a decaying symbol of the America that once was. The America that accepted my Grandfather back when America was America & said Give me your hungry, your tired, your poor. Give me your huddled masses yearning to live free. Not the America today that has Americans, in name only, that call for internment camp huts at the border & for sending outsiders back from where they are fleeing. There is no sentiment to share freedom, but then again, these Conservatives only believe in what they have & screw all others.

Given the many problems other Western countries have faced with immigration both legal and illegal; i.e. Australia, England, France, Germany, etc., we should think and act very carefully about what reforms we incorporate, how we intend to manage them by law and, most important, fully understand what we can expect from reform. Our country is very divided over "what we want to be when we grow up," something akin to parents disagreeing and arguing over how to raise their children and until we come to a mutual understanding of the real issues (social and financial impact on our future), not much will be accomplished beyond more political posturing and bi-partisan bickering.

Welcome to America, here's some "free stuff"

www.welcometousa.gov/Government_benefits/default.htm

Happy to see tax dollars being spent wisely.

I'll play the part of the media............."Being for immigration reform, IE: amnesty is you being a racist"

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0126-compton-20130126,0,977110.story

Why do you not care about the "black" community? Racist.

How many of you have actually spoken to a present day immigrant who legally became a Citizen? They abhor the people who didn't go through the legal process.

Many immigrants today.........check that.......most people today have a horrible work ethic. The many who illegally come across the borders are not like those who immigrated here in yesteryears. We have a taxpayer funded website to inform immigrants of taxpayer funded freebies......how many of our relatives came here to be given something free?? Heck, many immigrants were forced to fight for the Union army upon arriving to the States.........they weren't given a free ride.

I'm all for open borders when it comes to those who want to actually work, but along with the open border.....how about we eliminate the Federal Minimum wage?

I actually picked blueberries a few years ago with.........believe it or not.........many "whites" and many "Mexicans." Unlike what is portrayed in the media, Americans will and do perform the same tasks as those who actually come here for work. Anyways, I had to laugh because the "Mexicans" were just as lazy as the "Americans." A few barely made it through the morning and the majority left so many blueberries on each bush, I absolutely laughed my @ss off because they were just as lazy as the white folk. I still laugh now thinking about it.

Not the biggest fan of any tyrants, but what Teddy says is the truth if you want to remain semi united as a country.
http://www.newfrontiercoalition.com/Theodore_Roosevelt_On_Immigrants.pdf

"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in
good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be
treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to
discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin.
But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and
nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man
who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all.
We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red
flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much
as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have
room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we
have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American
people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

To those who are in favor legalizing 11 million undocumented aliens, write to your president, those who oppose, write to your congressman, those who are not sure, see your local preacher, those who are unable to decide and hates ilegal aliens, see your local Psychiatry and those who love thy neighbor, wait for your reward in heaven

No because we have a freedom of speach, we have to use this page to make statements contrary to the use of inteligent opinions, and insulting the inteligence of others with disrespect

Conservatives don't pander for votes. We are not going to offer 'presents' for the poor, amnesty for illegals for votes. If we can't win on our message of limited government, personal responsibility, values and low taxation then we don't win.

Wait and see, the ilegal inmigrants will take over this country, so far they have contributed and succeded in the re-eleccion of Obama, This country is divided, half whites and half multi-racial invisible society.

I don't know about you ...but I am tired of paying the tax bill to support them..............

Identify them and send them home. The illegal aliens were lawbreakers from the second they stepped over the border without going through U.S. Customs. We have enough home-grown lawbreakers without having to deal with foreign lawbreakers, too. Once they're back in their home country, let them apply for immigration and start at the back of the line, just like everyone else who does it by the rules.

All the nonsense about breaking up families by repatriating illegals can easily be solved by doing away with the instant citizenship policy for children born on U.S. soil and revoking it for people who were born here of illegal alien parents. Coming to the United States to pop out kids is not a God-given right. It may sound draconian, but it's simply a matter of survival of our nation and cultural identity.

Seal the border. End of the line. No anchors.

How about sealing a border just around your house? That would be a lot cheaper and the rest of us can just carry on! I say open the border!