Gingrich’s ‘Humane’ Plan Could Affect Millions of Illegal Immigrants
EmailFormer House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s proposed “humane” approach to enforcing U.S. immigration laws could mean legalization for as many as 3.5 million illegal immigrants, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center.
Under the broad outlines of Gingrich’s plan, the government would not expel illegal immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for decades, raised a family, paid taxes, maintained ties to churches or community groups, and have no criminal record aside from unauthorized residency.
Thirty-five percent of the nation’s estimated 10.2 million illegal immigrants have lived in the U.S. for 15 years or more, Pew found, while 70 percent have been residents for at least a decade. Roughly half are parents of young children.
Nearly 40 percent of Hispanics who are not citizens or legal permanent residents attend church services weekly, according to the Pew study, which analyzed data from the Labor Department, the Census Bureau and an independent national survey of Latinos.
“I don’t see how the party that says it’s the party of the family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families that have been here a quarter century,” Gingrich said last month.
“I’m prepared to take the heat for saying, let’s be humane in enforcing the law without giving them citizenship, but by finding a way to create legality so that they are not separated from their families,” he said.
Gingrich has not definitively said where he would draw the line on allowing long-term illegal immigrants to apply for legal residency, though he has suggested 25 years in the U.S. could be a marker.
Pew Hispanic Center demographer Jeffrey Passel said he is unable to estimate the number of illegal immigrants living in the U.S. for a quarter century because the existing data is not “robust.”
“A lot of the people who came in as undocumented immigrants 25 years ago are already legalized,” Passel added, referring to legalization programs in the 1980s.
Meanwhile, the share of long-term illegal immigrants as a percentage of the overall population continues to climb as flows of younger immigrants have fallen off sharply in recent years.
“Because we don’t have as many new ones coming in and the ones who have been here don’t seem to be leaving, you have this accumulation of people who have been here a long time,” he said.
Only 15 percent of the U.S. illegal immigrant population in 2010 had been in the country less than five years – down from 32 percent in 2000.
Experts attribute the decline to a down U.S. economy and enhanced border enforcement.
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The first Bipartisan commitment to enacting the ‘Legal Workforce Act?’
AMAZING! THIS IS GREAT NEWS! A Democrat with political will, to go against the Liberal Progressive grain. Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA.) has cosponsored House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith’s Legal Workforce Act (H.R.2885), making him the first Democrat to do so. In addition Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV.) added his co-sponsorship to this passage of this law just yesterday. The original co-sponsors to this bill, has been whittled down to only 32 co-sponsors to march it through, to be read in the House. This means we are closing in at a speed not seen before, when it comes to altering the course of illegal immigration. The Mandatory E-Verify systems that will begin to have a powerful effect on the 8.2 illegal aliens, who are taking jobs from average low income American Workers, will soon be confronted in every business to show proof that they are an authorized worker. The demonization by the special interests and all the far left and democrats, who have used every piece of their influence has failed. Mandatory E-Verification is well on its way, to becoming a tough law.
Every law since the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control act has been jeopardized by even the GOP career politicians, as neither party wanted any enforcement. Yes! And it succeeded; otherwise we wouldn’t have at least 20 million illegal aliens homesteading in the jurisdiction of the United States. They came by plane and overstayed their visa; they slipped across the border, in any large open regions from the South. They brought their desperate poverty with them, which have further added to our own underprivileged. Taxpayers in America have carried this financial yoke for decades. It’s like a repeating record that doesn’t sink into those in Congress that taxpayers are forced to by the Supreme Court’s decision, which we must pay for their upbringing.
The bill, which is now officially bipartisan, would require 100% of businesses to begin using E-Verify for all new hires within 2 years and require all federal, state, and local governments to check new hires and existing employees within 6 months. Rep. Altmire represents Pennsylvania’s 4th Congressional District and is serving his 3rd term in Congress. He has earned a career grade by pro-sovereignty organization NumbersUSA of B.
Congresswoman Bachmann (R-MN) in the past has co-sponsored legislation to make E-Verify mandatory nationally for all employers, and needs to add her co-sponsorship to Rep. Smith’s Mandatory E-Verify. Then Rep. Ron Paul (R-AN) who has always opposed amnesty, he also refuses to back enforcement measures that would lead to significant attrition of the illegal population. The candidates have no say in introducing or co-sponsoring the ‘Legal Workforce Act, as they cannot vote this powerful enforcement tool into law.
Passing this Law will stop the hounding of the Obama Administration from threatening the States of Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina and Utah. The immediate effects will cause hesitation from millions of illegal aliens from arriving through ports of entry, by aircraft or whatever means? ‘Enforcement through Attrition’—forecasts the end of costly deportations, as countless numbers will leave of their own accord. As to the German auto executive, Detlev, or the Japanese Honda worker being taken into custody under the Alabama harsh immigration laws–Perhaps, just perhaps if the 9/11 terrorist murderer Mohamed Atta who was stopped in his vehicle by the police and then let. If this radical had been questioned more extensively, it could have changed the outcome of that dark day?
It is this point in time patriotic Americans should contact the Ways and Means Committee responsible for bringing ‘The Legal Workforce Act’, bill H.R.2885 to the House floor in Congress. Only the American voter or legal resident has a say in this urgent matter, which will decrease large numbers of jobs STOLEN by the 8.2 illegal workers as estimated to self-deport. The number to call for the Washington political phones is 202-224-3121. The legislators need to pay attention to the People, instead of misleading us anymore. If you have further questions read about the widespread corruption in the federal and state governments at ‘Judicial Watch.’ Be attentive that the TEA PARTY does not agree with any kind of Amnesty, Dream Acts or Sanctuary cities.
Controversial as it is, everybody who wants a green card who overstayed their visa, or just slipped through the border, must eventually leave the country to be reevaluated for legal entry. Bringing to America legal immigrants is a different condition altogether and should be promoted expeditiously. The beacon should be lit for the highest skilled workers conceivable, but we must remain sensible and not be hoodwinked by mediocre workers, who could easily end up on the taxpayer’s dime. Build the real fences along our lengthy border, and then we can talk about another ‘Bracero Project’ like during the World War 2 for agriculture.
We have seen the financial damage, crime forced upon us by the impact of illegal immigration. So it’s time for all Americans, whether you are a legally processed resident or birthright citizen this illegal migrant and immigration. This should be bipartisan for every Democrat, Liberal, Independent or Republican to stop this travesty.
Posted by: Dave Francis | December 1, 2011, 6:13 pm 6:13 pm
Don’t forget it will absorb 11 million people into medicare and social security, these people have a right to those services once legalized. We need to raise taxes on the wealthy who profited from them.
Posted by: phantomniter | December 1, 2011, 7:54 pm 7:54 pm
What does going to church have to do with being illegal. Additionally, any splitting of members of an ILLEGAL family is self- inflicted. Gingrich’s position on this issue means that there isn’t any difference between him and Obama.
Posted by: john locke | December 1, 2011, 7:54 pm 7:54 pm
The article was based on how many have been in the country for 15 years, not 25 years. Then he went on to say they don’t have the numbers for people who’ve been here 25 years and most that have been here that long are already legal. Newt knew there are not that many who fall in the category.
Posted by: focusonjobs1 | December 1, 2011, 9:21 pm 9:21 pm
Anyone who came to America by breaking the law, should have no advantage over those who have tried to immigrate legally. But there is no need to deport anyone. Force employers to verify citizenship, as noted in the first post…and deny social services to illegals. They will leave the country on their own initiative. Those who have citizen children would either take them with them, or much less likely leave them with legal residents. Since the new law cracking down on illegal residents has been in place in Alabama—-the unemployment rate has dropped 0.7% while the rate for the country as a whole dropped only 0.1%. This due to Americans taking jobs that supposedly no American would want.
Posted by: free_2_choose | December 2, 2011, 1:48 am 1:48 am
So successful criminals who get away with breaking our laws for 15 to 25 years get rewarded by being able to stay and the less successful ones have to go. That’s nuts!
Why not let illegals deport themselves at their own expense by allowing them six months to leave with all their property, or after six months immediately FORFIET all their property and get deported?
Those who are smart get to take all their property with them at their own expense. Those who are not will have all their property forfeited which will then pay their deportation costs with excess funds going to border security hopefully.
In other words, “Take your stuff and get out, or else!”
Either way they pay for it or they pay for it, but we don’t, and either way they get out!
Posted by: Eric | December 3, 2011, 8:28 am 8:28 am