Obama on Immigration live

[boutons_deux]

Why the surge in migrant children at border?

Why are so many children crossing now?

Gang violence in El Salvador and in urban areas of Guatemala has escalated dramatically in recent months since a weak truce among rival gangs has evaporated, said Elizabeth G. Kennedy, a Fulbright scholar reached Monday in San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador.

"Half of them are fleeing for their lives," she said.

Kennedy, investigating the causes of child migration, has interviewed more than 400 child migrants. For many, Kennedy said, "their decision is: Do I face possible death in migrating or sure death in staying?"

The gang violence "particularly affects youths," said Alison Ramirez, who works on a U.S.-funded violence-prevention project in El Salvador and who frequently visits Honduras and Guatemala.

"The gangs are in schools, neighborhoods. They're everywhere," she said. "Even if the kids don't want to be a part of it, they get caught up in the crossfire, extorted, threatened."

"The violence is one of the drivers in Honduras," said David Scott FitzGerald, associate director of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies in California. "Just looking at the homicide rate, it has tripled in the last decade. It's the highest in the world for a country not at war."

Children from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador aren't just fleeing to the United States. Increasing numbers have been seeking asylum in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua and Belize, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Kennedy and Ramirez agreed that most children who flee to the United States do so because they have family members here.

Can't the Border Patrol just stop them?

The short answer: No. While the U.S. government has spent more than $126 billion over the past nine years on border security and enforcement, much of the fencing and infrastructure was built in California, Arizona and western Texas, which were the major crossing areas over the past decade.

The Border Patrol has been moving increasing numbers of agents into the Rio Grande Valley Sector, but vast stretches of the river are easy to cross, and there is extensive vegetation along the banks that makes it easy to hide both before and after crossing.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/...wers/10246771/

Agent Orange was mentioned to kill the riparian vegetation, like Carrizo cane (arundo donax).

[boutons_deux]

Dramatic Surge in the Arrival of Unaccompanied Children Has Deep Roots and No Simple Solutions

, it is painfully clear that there are no simple solutions, whether in the short or medium term, to address the complex set of push and pull factors driving the rise in arrivals of unaccompanied alien children (UACs).

Ninety-eight percent of unaccompanied minors currently arriving at the border are from Honduras (28 percent), Mexico (25 percent), Guatemala (24 percent), and El Salvador (21 percent). This breakdown represents a significant shift: prior to 2012, more than 75 percent of UACs were from Mexico.



Why Is This Happening?

There are deep root causes for this child migration, and for the recent surge in arrivals. While there is consensus that there are significant push and pull factors at work, there is not agreement as to which are more important. And inevitably, the issue of unaccompanied child migration has become ensnared in the broader political fight over immigration reform.

In reality, there is no single cause. Instead, a confluence of different pull and push factors has contributed to the upsurge. Recent U.S. policies toward unaccompanied children, faltering economies and rising crime and gang activity in Central American countries, the desire for family reunification, and changing operations of smuggling networks have all converged.

There is some evidence of a growing perception among Central Americans that the U.S. government’s treatment of minors, as well as minors traveling in family units, has softened in recent years. These child-friendly policies in many ways directly flow from TVPRA. In addition to the screening and ORR transfer requirements described above, the law also requires the United States to ensure safe repatriation of minors and established standards for custody, created more child-friendly asylum procedures, and relaxed eligibility for SIJ visa status. Some also contend that minors are spurred to migrate by the false idea that they could benefit under the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which offers a reprieve from deportation for certain young unauthorized immigrants who have lived in the United States since 2007.

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/artic...mple-solutions

If Obama deports these unaccompanied minors back, he will be breaking the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 law, and will be impeached by the Repugs!

[Wild Cobra]

Yep.

Rumors about permits and amnesty open the flood gates.

[boutons_deux]

Yep.

Rumors about permits and amnesty open the flood gates.

so why are ALL Y'ALL right-wingers blaming Obama personally for attracting "diseased" kids into USA?

[xrayzebra]

Wacky conspiracy theories are always right....fact remains, Obama has repatriated more illegals than any President, Republican or Democrat, before him...if Government really wanted to get serious about immigration reform it would get tough on employers who hire the illegals and make sure there are enough visas to cover the agricultural seasonal workers....GOP likes the way things are now....it's CEO's get the fruit of cheap labor and they can manipulate their loyal FAUX News crowd into believing that this is an Obama/Democrat conspiracy theory...

Only on paper. He directed that they now count all illegals put back across the border. In the past those that were returned at the border were not counted.

About normal for Obama, skew the numbers.

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/1...ore-immigrants

[Wild Cobra]

so why are ALL Y'ALL right-wingers blaming Obama personally for attracting "diseased" kids into USA?

It's democrats in general. they keep talking about amnesty, so people wand to get here before any deadlines are in place.

[boutons_deux]

It's democrats in general. they keep talking about amnesty, so people wand to get here before any deadlines are in place.

no, the Dems talk about DREAM act, about imm reform, which the Repugs, racists, xenophobes, and "you people" slander as amnesty.

[TheSanityAnnex]

still waiting....

and waiting...

[TheSanityAnnex]

Has there ever been a President who's blamed the opposing party as much as Obama? Not once yesterday did he actually speak of any sort of plan to fix the immigration policy, not once. Blame, blame, blame.

[boutons_deux]

Has there ever been a President who's blamed the opposing party as much as Obama? Not once yesterday did he actually speak of any sort of plan to fix the immigration policy, not once. Blame, blame, blame.

has there ever been a President who's been left with such a huge pile of by the previous administration?

(candidate: FDR )

[TheSanityAnnex]

Non-answer I see.


And I'm still waiting for your slap solution to the immigration problem.

[boutons_deux]

Non-answer I see.


And I'm still waiting for your slap solution to the immigration problem.

was the PERFECT answer

the slap is above

[TheSanityAnnex]

was the PERFECT answer

the slap is above

You didn't answer what your solution to the immigration problem is. Spamming articles doesn't count, no one reads your bull . In your own words this time, your solution please...

[boutons_deux]

You didn't answer what your solution to the immigration problem is. Spamming articles doesn't count, no one reads your bull . In your own words this time, your solution please...

The imm reform bill passed by the Senate, but REFUSED by the House Repugs, is an excellent starting point.

[Wild Cobra]

no, the Dems talk about DREAM act, about imm reform, which the Repugs, racists, xenophobes, and "you people" slander as amnesty.

I see you haven't read the legislation.

Keep letting Mother Earth, Common Dreams, etc. keep shoving more in your mouth. I don't really care. i do however find it amazing how ignorant you are.

[boutons_deux]

Key provisions of the Senate bipartisan immigration bill


Path to Citizenship

The estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally could obtain “registered provisional immigrant status” six months after enactment of the bill as long as certain requirements are met:

The Homeland Security Department must develop border security and fencing plans, per the specifications set out in the bill. (See Border Control, below.)

Undo ented immigrants must have arrived in the U.S. prior to Dec. 31, 2011, and maintained continuous physical presence since then.

Undo ented immigrants must have not had a felony conviction or three or more misdemeanors.

Upon payment of a $500 fine, the provisional legal status lasts six years and is renewable for another six years for $500.

People in provisional legal status could work and travel in the U.S. but would not be eligible for most federal benefits, including health care and welfare.

People deported for noncriminal reasons can apply to re-enter in provisional status if they have a spouse or child who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or if they had been brought to the U.S. as a child.

After 10 years in provisional status, immigrants can seek a green card and lawful permanent resident status if they are current on their taxes and pay a $1,000 fine, have maintained continuous physical presence in the U.S., meet work requirements and learn English. Also the border triggers must have been met, and all people waiting to immigrate through the legal system as of the date of enactment of the legislation must have been dealt with.

People brought to the country as youths would be able to get green cards in five years, and citizenship immediately thereafter.

Border Control

Certain border security requirements must be achieved within 10 years before any undo ented immigrant can obtain a permanent resident green card. These include:

The number of Border Patrol agents stationed along the U.S.-Mexico border will be roughly doubled to at least 38,405.

Seven hundred miles of pedestrian fencing along the border must be completed, which will require approximately 350 new miles of fencing.

A host of new security measures and technologies in specified locations along the border will be installed. These include specific numbers of surveillance towers, camera systems, ground sensors, radiation detectors, mobile surveillance systems, drones, helicopters, airborne radar systems, planes and ships.

A system for all employers to verify electronically their workers’ legal status will be implemented.

A new electronic system to track people leaving the nation’s airports and seaports must be set up.

The border security improvements are designed to achieve 100 percent surveillance of the border with Mexico and ensure that 90 percent of would-be crossers are caught or turned back. If the goals of a 90 percent effectiveness rate and continuous surveillance on the border are not met within five years, a Southern Border Security Commission made up of border-state governors and others would determine how to achieve them.

Border security spending in the bill totals around $46 billion.

H-1B high-skilled visas

The cap on the H-1B visa program for high-skilled workers would be immediately raised from 65,000 a year to 110,000 a year, with 25,000 more set aside for people with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering or math from a U.S. school. The cap could go as high as 180,000 a year depending on demand.

New protections would crack down on companies that use H-1B visas to train workers in the U.S. only to ship them back overseas.

Immigrants with certain extraordinary abilities, such as professors, researchers, multinational executives and athletes, would be exempted from existing green-card limits. So would graduates of U.S. universities with job offers and degrees in science, technology, engineering or math.

A startup visa would be made available to foreign entrepreneurs seeking to come to the U.S. to start a company.

A new merit visa, for a maximum of 250,000 people a year, would award points to prospective immigrants based on their education, employment, length of residence in the U.S. and other considerations. Those with the most points would earn the visas.

The bill would eliminate the government’s Diversity Visa Lottery Program, which randomly awards 55,000 visas to immigrants from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States, so that more visas can be awarded for employment and merit ties.

Guest worker “W-visa” program

A new W visa would allow up to 200,000 low-skilled workers a year into the country for jobs in construction, long-term care, hospitality and other industries.

A new agriculture worker visa program would be established to replace the existing program. Agriculture workers already here illegally, who’ve worked in the industry at least two years, could qualify in another five years for green cards if they stay in the industry.

Changes to family visa program

Under current law, U.S. citizens can sponsor spouses, children and siblings to come to the U.S., with limits on some categories. The bill would bar citizens from sponsoring their siblings and would allow them to sponsor married sons and daughters only if those children are under age 31.

Legal permanent residents can currently sponsor spouses and children, but the numbers are limited. The bill eliminates that limit.

Employment verification

Within four years, all employers must implement E-Verify, a program to verify electronically their workers’ legal status. As part of that, noncitizens would be required to show photo ID that must match with a photo in the E-Verify system. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv...-bill-revised/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/provisions-in-senate-bipartisan-immigration-bill-revised/

unlike WC, I don't pretend to be lawyer, so the above summary is Good Enough. Of course, House tea baggin xenophobic Repugs won't even bring it up (really, they are simply permitting their Repug benefactors want: allow Repug employers to keep exploiting low wage labor, underpaying, not paying, stealing wages, etc, etc.)

[xrayzebra]

We don't any new laws. Just enforcement of the laws we have on the books. Send the little brats back to their home countries and let them sort out who they belong to.

[TheSanityAnnex]

no, the Dems talk about DREAM act, about imm reform, which the Repugs, racists, xenophobes, and "you people" slander as amnesty.

How is letting 11+ million ILLEGAL aliens not a form of amnesty?

[TheSanityAnnex]

We don't any new laws. Just enforcement of the laws we have on the books. Send the little brats back to their home countries and let them sort out who they belong to.

Typical Democratic move. More laws!

[hitmanyr2k]

Anyone who thinks anything is going to get done while this bat stupid congress is in power are kidding themselves. The message on the wall has been loud and clear since Day 1 of the black guy taking office. The Republicans weren't going to do but play games and stonewall everything in attempt to take back power. A bunch of old dumbass white guys ed the country and had it sinking like the anic right before they left office. Do you really think they were going to let a black guy or a woman like Hillary come in and get cooperation to fix this country and let a minority go down in history as the "hero" who saved the country? Get the outta here. Nothing was going to get done about jobs, healthcare, and especially immigration because the GOP knows the amnestied illegals wouldn't vote for a dumbass party that's been demagoguing them from the start. That's just giving a massive voting bloc to the Democrats.

[m>s]

Anyone who thinks anything is going to get done while this bat stupid congress is in power are kidding themselves. The message on the wall has been loud and clear since Day 1 of the black guy taking office. The Republicans weren't going to do but play games and stonewall everything in attempt to take back power. A bunch of old dumbass white guys ed the country and had it sinking like the anic right before they left office. Do you really think they were going to let a black guy or a woman like Hillary come in and get cooperation to fix this country and let a minority go down in history as the "hero" who saved the country? Get the outta here. Nothing was going to get done about jobs, healthcare, and especially immigration because the GOP knows the amnestied illegals wouldn't vote for a dumbass party that's been demagoguing them from the start. That's just giving a massive voting bloc to the Democrats.

You sound mad got. I support neither party but rather the third position and I can't wait to see the traitors on both sides executed mercilessly for their crimes.

[boutons_deux]

How is letting 11+ million ILLEGAL aliens not a form of amnesty?

amnesty is a pardon, excused from all penalty, but all y'all xenophobic rednecks aint' very book smart about words.

Y'all fellers swallow the Repug/Fox propaganda like it was the Bible truth And we all know the Bible is unchallengeable accurate scientific and history tome of truth, just like Repug politicians and Fox.

under the Senate bill, there are financial penalties, 10 years of waiting, and more penalties if unpaid income/SS taxes are discovered. iow, it's ain't "amnesty" except in your white-man's xenophobic imagination.

[m>s]

waiting? they're already right here

[m>s]

what's your race boutons? you like to operate out of the shadows, but i see you for what you are

[m>s]

nothing but a little shill