Immigration bills to lose felony provison

[Pred]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Republican leaders of the House and Senate have agreed to drop efforts to make entering the United States illegally a felony, hoping to jump-start legislation to overhaul the U.S. immigration system.
The provision has become a lightning rod for protesters in massive demonstrations against illegal immigration restrictions, like those Monday that drew hundreds of thousands of people in dozens of American cities large and small.
The felony measure is part of an immigration reform bill the GOP-controlled House of Representatives passed in December.
In a joint statement issued Tuesday evening, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist tried to blame House Democrats for the felony provision, noting that Democrats voted overwhelmingly against an amendment that would have reduced minimum sentences for illegal entry to 6 months.
"Instead, they voted to make felons out of all of those who remain in our country illegally," said Hastert, an Illinois Republican, and Frist, a Tennessee Republican.
The final bill passed the House 239-182, with only 36 Democrats supporting the measure. (Watch the politics of immigration -- 2:28)
Jennifer Crider, a spokeswoman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, said Republicans "are feeling the heat" after demonstrations that brought out hundreds of thousands of protesters in 39 states on Monday.
Organizers said 500,000 attended a protest in Washington and 200,000 turned out in Phoenix, Arizona, though police provided no official crowd estimates. (Full story)
"No amount of spin can change the fact that Republicans wrote and passed the Sensenbrenner bill, which criminalizes an entire population," Crider said. "The bill is beyond repair."
Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, a leading advocate of cracking down on illegal immigration, said Monday that Democrats wanted to keep the felony provision as a "poison pill."
But Sen. Edward Kennedy on Tuesday dismissed such characterizations.
"Actions speak louder than words, and there's no running away from the fact that the Republican House passed a bill and Senator Frist offered one that criminalizes immigrants," the Massachusetts Democrat said.
"This debate shouldn't be about making criminals out of hard-working families ... but rather about strengthening our national security and enacting a law that reflects our best values and our humanity," he said in a written statement.
The House bill, pushed by Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Democrat, also calls for building 700 miles of security fence along the Mexican border and would make assisting illegal immigrants a felony, as well.
It does not include a temporary guest-worker provision, as President Bush has called for, or language that would offer a legalization process for people already in the United States illegally. Critics dismiss that idea as "amnesty," while supporters call it "earned citizenship."
Senate attempts to pass a bill stalled last week when a measure establishing a guest-worker program and a mechanism for legalization failed to overcome opposition from conservative Republicans.
As protests against the House bill mounted in late March, the White House and the Republican National Committee raised concerns that the anti-immigration sentiment coming from some corners of the GOP would turn off Latino voters that Bush and his political team have worked hard to court.
But Republican leaders must also contend with a growing chorus within their conservative base to crack down on illegal immigration. (Watch importance of Latino vote questioned -- 2:07)
Sensenbrenner sponsored the amendment that Frist and Hastert cited Tuesday, and he signaled last week that he would be willing to drop the felony language if the House and Senate have to come up with a compromise bill.
House GOP aides, meanwhile, said Tuesday that language aimed at punishing people who help illegal immigrants was aimed at smugglers who bring people across the border, not at charities who assist the migrants.

Are you kidding me? OUR GOVERNMENT IS FAILING ON A MASSIVE ******* LEVEL!!! Their in this country illegally, ILLEGALLY. Everyone from the president down needs taken out for an afternoon of electroshock(to quote Lewis Black).

[Shaun]

we need the felony provision --

[Mooseman684]

This will be the Destruction of America as we know it... just because a Bunch of Mexicans are protesting the Laws we already have in force and it just shows me that they Have no Concern or respect for the Laws anyway ! They Violate Laws and treatys to come over here and work to send money back to Mexico and sure, If they are willing to work for table scraps that American workers would refuse then Americans don't have a chance to make those low wage paying employers Cough up minimum wages/ health care Insurance or anything else ! More Greed and Money for them by hiring cheap labor !

Does anybody think that we can get ALL gun owners to band together and do massive armed protests to secure our second Amendment Rights ? We could get protests going in every Major city in the U.S. if this is what it will take to change the Laws we have now that are affecting our freedoms ! Maybe we should learn from the Mexicans !

[MosinDave]

I hope the felony provision passes and they all get deported! They are here ILLEGALLY ruining our economy, and taking alot of jobs that plenty of AMERICAN CITIZENS need.
The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer....

[Rufus Rhastus J]

I'm afraid we are being tossed under the bus. We cannot depend on the congress to enforce our existing laws. very sad.

[Pred]

The felony law will be removed, and those 11-12 million mexicans will come citizens. Millions more will cross over since we won't remove them from the country. Before long mexicans will control the southern states, basically removing whites and blacks. This is the start of a war between mexicans and the rest of the country, only problem is our government is on their side. The real question is, when are the armed citizens of this country going to take a stand.... Can you imagine what would happen if 3 million Amercians took up arms and demanded the mexicans be removed from the country?

[Beer Forever]

It is not like it was going to do anything. WHat would felonizing them do? I mean they are already here ilegally, so they have nothing to lose, nothing. The only thing this will amount to is getting a bunch of vigilanties all fired up and rounding them up on their own and we all know how that will turn out. THere are too many already here and there is nothing we can do about it short of destroying our country by tearing out an entire race of people and putting them somwhere else that we feel is better.

[Beer Forever]

There is only one thing that can be done and there is no humane way to do it. Start with the Southern states and go around and round up all the ilegals and deport them. THat will NEVER happen. It will cost so much money and cause an internal war. Think what would be involved and how much it would cost us. THe only thing we can do is strengthen our borders and wait



I understand that this is a very touchy topic with lots of different views and stances. I just want to say that what can we do. Do we really want to become like some red-neck vigilanties that take the law in their own hands and round up peolpe we THINK are here ilegally, no. We have to let the government do it. IS the government going to go door to door and check everyone's visas or check every Mexican they see, no. The only realalistic thing the can actually do it start with Arizona and round up entire communities. Do you think the people are just going to let this happen? of course not. If they do this in one state we will see a the backlash of it hit other states that will cause rioting and looting on bothe sides of the spectrum. THat is what the gov. thought when they change the felony provision. What can we do?

[Pred]

One of two things. We sit back until it's too late(almost there) or we finally march up to the white house and tell ol bush to hit the road. He's still got ATLEAST, what, 33 months left? Look at the damage he's done in the past 6 months.

[Beer Forever]

There is not much the people can do

[Pred]

Actually, I think a better way to say it is, theres not much people will do.

[Rufus Rhastus J]

yup, and he's got two more years to screw things up beyond repair. But, not to worry....he and his rich big business buds are gona do alright......America and Her people suffer...just like always. It won't be long and FUBAR will apply to America.

[Rave]

Saw a black spokesman ranting on MSNBC yesterday about the immigration problem,wants us to get tough and kick them out.
Sounds like history repeating it self,big difference was that the black protesters were citizens,that seems irrelivent in todays news.
Looks like a vote is a vote and a buck is a buck to those in power.

[7mmag6]

dont remove those mexicalies I wont be able to get a big mac when I want one, you think mexicans are going to rule---they cant even rule themselves

[Pred]

The mexicans don't have to rule, the question is will THEY be ruled. Do you think the mexicans will then listen to our government? Texas has a population of about 23,000,000, New Mexico has a population of about 2,000,000, and Arizona has a population of about 6,000,000. Take those 12 million mexicans that our government wants to make citizens, and send 6 million to both Arizona and New Mexico. What will happen?

[Beer Forever]

Please, no more I can't take it. It is imposible to get a job unless you know Spanish. The South Side looks like little Mexico and NOTHING is in English. I am affraid to go and visit my friends without some firepower.

[Pred]

Eight years ago I took a trip to Houston with my mom for some teaching crap(she's a teacher LOL). Anyways, when we got off the plane and went to get a car, the lady behind the desk knew no english. We stopped at a fast food place ONCE, once again they knew no english. The next day we went to see the Astros play. The ONLY person who spoke english was this black girl who tried to sell me beer. To bad I was only 16 :nod: . I can only imagine what it's like down there now.

[Beer Forever]

You bring up a very important topic, the women. The guys must go, but the women should have the option to stay only if they meet the requirments.

1st requirment : Nice rack

2nd requirment : Nice Rack

3rd requirment : Nice Rack

[Pred]

I dont know, I dont find mexican women attractive. For some reason, to me, theres a difference between hispanic women and mexican women.... dont ask. Asian women however....... With green eyes..... I wont get into detail but I had the BEST dream last night :nod:

[Beer Forever]

Mexican women are the best, fallowed closely by the blonde Swedish with pigtails, Chinese girls are just in a level of their own, almost like they a myth of un-fathomable beauty.