This bill, would make it a felony offense to be in the U.S. without proper documentation. This would push undocumented immigrants further underground, and increase the potential for exploitation by employers. This bill would also criminalize nurses, teachers, clergy, social workers, and anyone else who aids, assists, or otherwise has regular contact with undocumented immigrants.
122257
It appears to be about controlling illegal immigrants, but its really about controlling Americans.  I think the bill is a bad idea. If freedom and democracy are so important to us Americans, why deny it to those less fortunate who are eager to work and contribute?  Criminals will come regardless, the rest deserve dignity and respect...and hospitality.  I believe Americans have the intelligence and resources...and heart to come up with a better idea...\n\nAmerica, bless God!
513230
Employer!  The worker is just trying for a better life while the employer is looking to exploit low wage workers.  If you pay lousy, and all your workers are immigrant, well, you can probably figure they're all illegal; so don't give me this "but I thought they had papers..." story.\n\nBUT having said that...we have been tacitly giving the ok to this behaviour for 20 or 30 years, can we all of a sudden say, well, it was ok to violate the law yesterday and I know you have kids and a house and a family, but now we decided to enforce the rules so go home or go to jail???  That is not moral or ethical behavior.
146518
If Congress were to pass a law that said, quite simply, that the CEO (ANY EMPLOYER) of any business that was caught employing ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS went to jail for a year - \nNO EXCEPTIONS - \nThen within a month there would be ten million (more or less) people lined up at the Mexican border trying to get out of the United States And Back To Whatever Country They Came From\n\nThey Cant Work - They Wont Stay\nNO Deportation Costs\nThey Wont Come Back
191755
Yes, they should be charged under the law for aiding and/or abetting a felony (If illegal entry is on the books as a felony), not only because they violated statutes but because of their greed which leads them to look for employees who need employment so badly that they will do hard labor for low wages. And also because they are taking the jobs they offer off the open market by hiring illegals. If they did not hire illegals they would be forced to hire U.S. citizens at whastever wage level would attract them to hire on.  Supermarket produce prices would go up, of course, but we should be willing to pay up and, in doing so, do our part in sending lawbreakers back to their own country. Let them break laws in their own country, not ours!
227884
Most of the Hispanic people I have met are hard-working, relatively honest people who simply want a better life for their families. It's hard to fault a person for that. However, strating a new life by breaking the law is not the best way to begin again. I favor a "Green Card" system which allows "guest workers," and a serious crackdown on those who flout the law by illegally crossing the border.
329511
i believe we need to secure our borders,but criminalizing a group of hardworking people trying to escape poverty for their family's sake is not right.is anyone aware of the hardships and living conditions these people put up with so they can send extra money to their faMILIES.hell these are the type of people that should be americans.
441333
Many mainline protestant congregations, often in the United Church of Christ or Episcopalian tradition, have gone out on a limb to hide/protect illegal immigrants. This is always at a local level, though; I don't think that the national offices have ever endorsed this.
310024
Sensenbrenner KNOWS Exactly What He Is Trying To Do\nUnfortunately, The Senate WONT LET HIM\n\nThe Third Provision Of The Sensenbrenner Bill (HR4437) States:\n\nAnyone or any organization who “assists” an individual without documentation “to reside in or remain” in the United States knowingly or with “reckless disregard” as to the individual’s legal status would be liable for criminal penalties and five years in prison. This could include church personnel who provide shelter or other basic needs assistance to an undocumented individual. Property used in this act would be subject to seizure and forfeiture.\nhttp://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/HR4437.html\n\n5 Years In Prison Is A Big Deterrent\nNo Employer In His Right Mind Will Hire Illegal Aliens\n\nAnd This Provision Also Addresses\nRemoving ALL BENEFITS (Social Services) FROM ILLEGALS \n\nIf This One Provision Of The Reform Bill Is Passed, \nWithin a month there WILL be ten million (more or less) people lined up at the Mexican border trying to get out of the United States And Back To Whatever Country They Came From.\n\nNo Work = No Stay\nWe Wont Have To Deport Anyone,\nNo Deportation Costs \nTheyll Go Home Themselves\n\nNo Work = No Come Back\nWe Wont Have To Build A Fortress Wall On Our Southern Border \n\nThis Provision Is The EASIEST, \nMost COST EFFECTIVE Solution \nTo Our Nations ILLEGAL Alien Crisis\n\nNo Other Legislation Will Be Needed \nIf THIS PARAGRAPH Was Passed Into Law
137394
Key provisions of the Senate's main immigration bill would create a "gold card" program for illegal immigrants who entered the United States before Jan. 4, 2004, and create a guest worker program to bring in more foreign laborers, according to Senate Judiciary Committee staff members.\n\nThe committee is to begin debating the measure Wednesday under a three-week timetable aimed at producing a final version for the full Senate by March 27.\n\nSponsored by the committee chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the legislation is designed to strike a middle course between a bill passed by the House that calls for tougher immigration enforcement and the wishes of pro-immigration advocates who call for permanent legal status -- and eventual citizenship -- for an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants.\n\nPresident Bush, defying objections from conservatives, has called for an overhaul of the nation's immigration laws and the creation of a temporary guest worker program to ensure a steady source of labor for U.S. businesses. Under Bush's plan, qualified workers, including residents now living here illegally, could stay in jobs for up to six years, then would be required to return home.In a move to build support for Bush's guest worker amnesty plan, administration officials talked about how they would actually implement the program. Jaws dropped as the administration reps explained the centerpiece of the program, a "Gold Card" that would enable illegal aliens to enter the U.S. at will, and work at any job with no labor market or other tests needed but would deny them citizenship. "Gold Card" would be valid forever, similar to current "Green Cards" but illegal aliens holding a "Gold Card" would not be able to adjust their status through naturalization.
330900
In this case, no. The reason is that they are not citizens and therefore cannot vote and don't have representation in congress and the senate.\n\nIf 12 million criminal citizens united and voted then it could effect changes, but for illegal non-citizens it doesn't mean anything.
394154
I used to work in a place that hired illegals.\nHow it works is, when they recieive that letter, they tell Jose about the letter, and they tell him to go "get another social security number" \nThey re-hire Jose under the new name and number. \nFrom that point on Jose, is known as Jesus!\n\nGet it?!!!!!\n\nSeen it happen numerous times!\n\nThere is a black market for socials. They are collected from stolen mail, stolen paperwork, and crooked workers that work in places where they have access to social security numbers.
264168
Not having a record, I can only guess. If I did have a record, I would try to get rid of it. Having to explain something I did once every single tine I applied for a job would be embarrassing. Its nice to not have a record that needs expunging.
334939
Wouldn't it be tragic and racist if you were not to be accorded the same pathway of citizenship under the Senate Bill? Now the use of illegal alien term will be rampant  in relation to illegal immigrants advocates omitting "illegal" when talking about illegal immigrants- in order for lawyers to justify their case to approve someone under the amnesty bill. Technically, you're not illegal so I don't know if you will considered at all under the Bill unless you break  the terms of your student visa and become  an illegal, in its truest sense.
90160
When I watched the news, they stated that this bill will make \n1) "illegal" immigration a felony, and anyone who helps an "illegal" immigrant will be charged with a crime.\n\nAn example was used by ASI, the student body goverment at my school, "If someone happens to take someone to the hostipital, that person who helped the illegal immigrant will be charged with a crime."\n\nTeachers, conselors, priests, strangers can all be accused for the crime of helping an "illegal" immigrant.\nFurthermore, government officials will also be unable to help the situation of illegal immigrants because they would be charged with a crime. \n\nASI also explained that if the bill passes,\n2) Children who are born in the US but have parents who are considered "illegal" immigrants will not be granted with their United States citizenship.\nRegardless of what side your are on in this issue, this is unconstituational because it is stated in our Fourteenth Amendment that U.S citizenship is granted to any individual who is born in this country\n\n3) Currently, border patrol and other immigrantion officials are the only ones who can arrest and deport "illegal" immigrants but now any official, such as police officers, can deport and arrest individuals who are "illegal".\n\n"Illegal" is the base word in immigrant that makes the whole situation biased. What is meant by "illegal immigrant"? A person who doesn't have papers to be in this country. \nIf I am correct, this country was founded by European "illegal" immigrants. Why is it okay for those immigrants, who first invaded this country, to not be properly refered as "illegal" immigrants and why did it become okay for them to stay here?
217296
That bill also included the doubling of the H2-B foreign worker program. This program does the same as the illegal immigrants do,only at the TOP of the job level. It gives leadership,technical, blue-collar, office jobs, to foreign workers. Then they conveniently forget their Visa expired and just stay. There was a lot of "pork" in that bill that we were not aware of. American citizens should write, call and e-mail their congressmen and senators to let them know how we oppose amnesty in any form for the ILLEGALS in our country. They should be deported for the felony they have committed. Our border should be CLOSED! When congress resumes in two weeks they will see how much we want this issue taken care of in the right way "for American citizens". I for one will contact my congressman and I urge every American who is fed up with illegal immigrants sucking this country dry of the programs and assistance meant for the legal citizens to do the same. If the LEGAL immigrants who came here the proper way can't stand up for the country that welcomed them in then I think they should  pack up and go to their respective countries as well. I'm sick of Mexicans, Latinos, Hispanics, and any other people from south of the USA border who think they own a piece of our country.I once was welcoming to the LEGALS but now, I'm getting fed up with them, too!!!\n\nType into "search" the words "Senate"  or  "Congressman" to find your senator or congressman to e-mail or mail a letter.
322644
If an illegal uses a number that belongs to someone else to get a job, the Social Security Administration gets notified of the taxes collected under a name that doesn't match those in its records. It is fairly obvious that there is a person who is showing up at work at the address of the employer who is an illegal immigrant working in violation of the law. But since the people in our government are collaborators in illegal immigration they have deliberately chosen not to act on this information. \n\nGetting a false Social Security Card as part of false id's is easy and cheap all through the United States. But you don't even need a card. You just make a number up. The government cares so little about enforcing the law that I've heard there are something like a million people working under numbers that are all zeros. If you do get caught selling false identification including Social Security Numbers, you can be prosecuted.
221055
Undocumented immigration has never been "illegal" in the United States.  There is, and has never been, any criminal penalty for being in this country without proper documentation.  The only sanction is deportation.  The individual being deported has no criminal record because there is no crime.