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Senator Chuck Schumer to lead new effort at immigration reform

By
Niall O'Dowd ,
IrishCentral.com Founding Publisher

Published Monday, January 4, 2010, 7:34 AM
Updated Tuesday, January 5, 2010, 4:16 PM

 

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Senator Chuck Schumer

A major effort to swing at least five key Republican senators behind immigration reform will be the key task of Senator Charles Schumer of New York, who is leading the effort in the senate to create new legislation.

Tens of thousands of Irish undocumented are among those anxiously awaiting new efforts this year to bring about reform. The last effort to create a bill, called the Kennedy/McCain immigration bill failed when Republicans refused to support it.

However, the new bill, which Senator Schumer and aides to President Obama are working on, will have strong enforcement measures in it in addition to a plan to legalize those here illegally.

President Obama has given a commitment to take up the issue soon after his health care reform bill passes, as is generally expected.

Schumer is counting on Republican Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, who has indicated that he will support a new bill that has strong enforcement measures and ensures that illegal immigration will be much harder after the bill passes.

"Schumer wants to show that legalizing the undocumented is actually good national security policy, as well as making it clear that it will become much harder for new illegals to work here if the new bill is passed" said a source.

Hispanic groups who have major clout with this White House are concerned that the proposed bill leans too far in the enforcement direction.

Among other senators on the Republican side that Schumer hopes will be reachable are Senators Olympia Snow and Susan Collins in Maine, Senator George Voinovich in Ohio and Senator John McCain of Arizona, who sponsored legislation before.

A House bill has already been introduced by Congressman Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, a close supporter of President Obama.

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Posted by vzesati on Jan 12, 2010, 01:15 PM EST
Every time you go and present a plea, remember I'm praying for you all the God will give grace to speak to promete a imigration reform. Pastor Victor Zessati
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Posted by REM1875 on Jan 11, 2010, 02:34 PM EST
Ahhh and sure as the sky is green and the grass is blue don't ya just know that old chuckie schumer (that shining pillar of honesty and morality) is worried and concerned about the well being of 50,000 illegal Irish aliens, just like when billy clinton was moved to do something about illegal aliens and went after the Polish and the Irish. The Irish don't vote in a block anymore and many have started to think on their own and are no longer mandatory Democrats so they are no longer beholding to us. We did what the majority of the new immigrants refuse to do -we integrated and became American- too damned well.
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Posted by plasticpaddy on Jan 08, 2010, 02:12 PM EST
Also, I am Irish, not American - and a full supporter of rights for the undocumented
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Posted by plasticpaddy on Jan 08, 2010, 02:11 PM EST
I appreciate the apology Maghnus but would like to make a suggestion, instead of insulting me by saying crawl under a rock, why not make a logical point and argue, respectfully, with what I have posted. I would gladly settle for some of that.
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Posted by plasticpaddy on Jan 08, 2010, 02:10 PM EST
What you say about Sotomayor is simple laughable to anyone who has made the slightest effort to look into your claims surrounding La Raza. Simply laughable.
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Posted by plasticpaddy on Jan 08, 2010, 02:08 PM EST
the legal process you speak of does not exist unless you already have thousands of dollars and unless an American company can prove there is not an American to do the job (an impossibility in and of itself). the silliness of the current system makes it hypocritical and unjust to criticise those trying to better their lives, who would willingly come here legally were that option available.
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Posted by Madeleine on Jan 08, 2010, 03:51 AM EST
You are not talking about a few thousand illegal immigrants here, there are almost 30 million, including the 50,000 or so Irish and the other groups that have gotten into the mix because they are south Americans. That does not include the documented workers who are here either. This will be straightened out after the health care bill goes thorough, they will be given legal status, therefore they will be eligible for health care and we pay. There are no jobs here and if they do take menial jobs they won't be making enough to pay. Sonia Sotomayor is a new supreme court justice, she is head of La Raza, a racist group of hispanics who think anyone other than hispanics should die, La Raza means "The Race" They will be eligible to vote when they are legalized and I'm sure Sonia, the La Raza Queen, will see to it that they vote for Obama. They did this with other groups as well, all for the vote, we wound up with millions of Russians who have assimiated very well and are very intelligent people, they did it with the Chinese, millions of them here too and countless others, so I'm sure they will do what they want with the Mexicans and other Hispanics that are here. No point in getting upset about it, they are here and they are here to stay, some are very nice people, hard workers and family oriented, unfortunately a lot of them are not, gangs have come in with them, and Mexico opened its jail doors and sent the prisoners here as well and the crime rate has gone up. We are getting illnesses we never heard of, inluding Leprosy, there are 7 or 8 Leper clinics in the states, this H1N1 flu supposedly came from mexico, who knows for sure, our government speaks with forked tongue. Regardless of what any of us think about the immigrants, they are here. period.
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Posted by allentown on Jan 06, 2010, 04:50 PM EST
Since Vincentruane answered my question with a preposterous answer, I would like to ask BostonIrish what is Pro-Immigration Reform?
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Posted by MAGHNUS on Jan 06, 2010, 04:30 PM EST
P.S. I would further like to add, PlasticPaddy, because I feel I must, that I would not wish harm on any illegal immigrants, here in America, or in Ireland. I would majorly prefer them not to be here, or there, but I am not nearly as ignorant as I show myself to be, and understand that they are trying to have a better living regardless of where they go. I would, however, prefer them to go through the legal processes to get to where they are going.
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Posted by MAGHNUS on Jan 06, 2010, 04:21 PM EST
plasticpaddy, I must apologize for my last comment, providing it's still there when you read this comment. I would not wish you any pain or harm, perhaps a bit more understanding as to why you irritate me with your comments of belittling others of their opinion (which, might I add, is your God given right, and ironically, half of the fun of posting on a web blog to begin with). I spoke too rashly and should have stopped at crawl back under your rock. I have sent a report abuse on myself, and have explained in my comment the same as I have just explained to you. Please excuse my idiocy.
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Posted by MAGHNUS on Jan 06, 2010, 03:50 PM EST
plasticpaddy, if you really are Irish American, you're a disgrace to both Nationalities. Crawl back under your rock and die.
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Posted by MAGHNUS on Jan 06, 2010, 03:40 PM EST
Don't bother listening to plasticpaddy. He doesn't know two bits about what decent people or citizens would do, because he doesn't happen to be one of them. Don't be fooled by him, either. He's not Irish. He's an American Hippie trying to talk big...did I mention is a full supporter of illegal immigrants, ponder over that won't you.
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Posted by plasticpaddy on Jan 06, 2010, 09:28 AM EST
If a law is stupid and unjust it the responsibility of decent people and citizens to get rid of it, you support worse laws or at least the ridiculous status quo.
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Posted by BostonIrish on Jan 06, 2010, 08:15 AM EST
I don't understand why some of these commenters spend so much time on a website that is run by people who are clearly pro immigration reform and have fought in the past on behalf of the undocumented irish.
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Posted by IrishAndProud on Jan 06, 2010, 02:45 AM EST
But my emotion is based on the fact that so many people have invaded the USA in open, flagrant violation of U.S. law, and are being flatly excused (and even worse, offered citizenship, as a reward for it) by so many OTHER people. Sure, that gets my dander up (as it should ANY thinking American). Fortunately such people are in the minority, in the USA.
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Posted by vincentruane on Jan 05, 2010, 10:41 PM EST
No it doesn't Irishandproud or is it Irishandangry, but it really seems like emotionalism is the chief driver of all your thinking.
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Posted by IrishAndProud on Jan 05, 2010, 09:53 PM EST
No sir...I'm as Irish now as I was when I was born...unless you know of some sort of DNA transplant I've had, without my knowledge. And there you go yet AGAIN with the soppy emotionalism. Does emotionalism totally drive your train, vincentruane? Exactly how many tears am I supposed to shed for these illegal aliens before they suddenly start to become legal? Does emotionalism totally drive your train, vincentruane?
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Posted by vincentruane on Jan 05, 2010, 09:18 PM EST
In answer to irishandproud or is it irishwhenitsuitsme, No since I'm not a cold hearted person I don't see your point. And laws didn't create America God did and the water you drink to stop you from dying of thirst was created by God and we are all God's children. If you think its okay to be such an uncaring person why do you think people should even take the time to read anything you write? That you would wish hardship on your fellow human beings brings to mind a well known saying,What goes around comes around.
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Posted by IrishAndProud on Jan 05, 2010, 08:36 PM EST
vincentruane: All you're doing is recycling the same pointless, nothing-to-do-with-the-topic emotionalism that pro-illegals use, and that I've already addressed. They're here, illegally. I repeat, how hard they work or what happened 163 years ago with the potato famine (or 162 years ago in the Mexican War) DOES...NOT...CHANGE...THAT. It has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ISSUE. Illegal aliens should not be in this country -- PERIOD. Past wrongs which no one can do anything about do not justify FURTHER wrongs in the present (like, for instance, illegal entry into the country). Further, exactly what are you suggesting, in bringing up the US annexation of Mexican land in 1848 (and which I did not agree with, btw)? Should tens of millions of Americans, few of whose grandparents were even born then, just be uprooted so that it can all be given back to Mexico? And what if NATIVE Americans, who were here prior to the Mexicans, say that THEY want it back, from both the Americans AND the Mexicans? How many layers of this onion do you want to peel back, anyway? (And if you're white, then why don't YOU go back to Europe, and give YOUR little sliver of land back to the Native Americans?) If you're going to start THAT kind of stuff, you'd better be prepared to start uprooting people all over the world, whose ancestors displaced the prior peoples. See my point? That kind of talk is nothing more than utter, impracticle emotionalism, which contributes NOTHING to the current, real issue at hand, of illegal aliens.
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Posted by vincentruane on Jan 05, 2010, 08:29 PM EST
I have news for you allentown, there are millions and millions of Americans who were born in America working in various nations worldwide.Should all these nations request all of these honest working Americans to leave? The point here is, it isn't just all a one way street to America for work purposes, Americans benefit too by the generous hands and minds of other nations when it comes to seeking employment opportunities.
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Posted by allentown on Jan 05, 2010, 07:46 PM EST
Vincentruane writes: >> Sometimes laws are so unjust that the only just thing for a person to do is to ignore them or break them. Many of these immigrants in America are just honest working people who are just looking for the same chance in life that you have << According to that reasoning would it not be right for 20,000,000 illegal immigrants from Bangeledash, 20,000,000 illegal immigrants from Indonesia, and 20,000,000 illegal immigrants from China be allowed to work in the USA, because they are just hardworking people who want the same chance as we Americans want?
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Posted by vincentruane on Jan 05, 2010, 07:08 PM EST
In reply to Irish and proud: Many Mexicans have a saying about America, You Americans crossed our border long before we Mexicans crossed America's border and I'm quite sure if you don't understand what they mean by this statement, there are plenty of historians who can enlighten your mind here. In reference to why should America reward people for being illegal,I have to bring attention to your name here Irishandproud. Most Irish people would agree that the Irish famine of 1847 onwards which starved over 3 million Irish human beings to death was socially engineered and the justification given in the English parliament of shame was it was illegal to help the Irish. It was illegal to help the Irish, it was okay to let over 3 million Irish men, women and children die of starvation because "it was the law". Sometimes laws are so unjust that the only just thing for a person to do is to ignore them or break them. Many of these immigrants in America are just honest working people who are just looking for the same chance in life that you have.
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Posted by IrishAndProud on Jan 05, 2010, 05:48 PM EST
Further, my Irish ancestors came to the USA LEGALLY. That's totally different from these illegals, today. Apples and oranges.
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Posted by IrishAndProud on Jan 05, 2010, 05:35 PM EST
plasticpaddy, the first items you mentioned in your response are all nonsense. Our agricultural sector (which my family has been involved in for many, many generations now -- they farm thousands of acres without employing a single illegal) would NOT collapse. With U.S. unemployment as it is currently (more people unemployed than there are illegals in the country), those jobs would be willingly filled, and rather quickly -- with American citizens or LEGAL immigrants. It's already happened: illegals have been rounded up at meat plants, and the jobs were filled with AMERICANS, afterward (low-income blacks in one case, who certainly could use the money). To say otherwise (whether you intended it as such or not) is merely a standard, formula argument against the deportation of the illegals already here. And I'm not sure what you meant by 'watch your reputation fall apart.' How can a nation's reputation fall apart by simply enforcing its laws, strenghtening its borders and looking after its OWN people's jobs and welfare, first? Unless by 'reputation' you mean worrying about what others outside the USA think about us expelling illegals -- in which case we...don't...care. The people of the USA, in huge numbers, want the illegals OUT, and our government to STOP pandering to them with this silly 'amnesty' talk, etc. What others think about us for doing so, is irrelevant. If the USA merely enforced its laws and secured its borders, the undocumented wouldn't even be here, in the numbers that they are.
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Posted by JBRAFTREE on Jan 05, 2010, 04:33 PM EST
Maghnus, I partially agree. My native Irish friends tell me when Ireland went EU,it was to the detriment of the Country. Dead on Plasticpaddy!!!!!!
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Posted by plasticpaddy on Jan 05, 2010, 04:13 PM EST
irish and proud, watch your agricultural sector collapse, watch your reputation fall apart and the mass movement of refugees create a humanitarian disaster, your suggestions make no sense, there is no common sense in there only rash reactions to a bad situation you would only make worse. Allow people to come here legally by creating a properly legal process of immigration, not one that encourages the undocumented by removing any pragmatic legal routes.
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Posted by plasticpaddy on Jan 05, 2010, 04:10 PM EST
Maghnus we would rather all of those people than your racist self in our country. Keep your hate to yourself, Ireland isn't interested in it.They shouldn't even be there! "If they don't like where they came from, then they should have stayed and helped make a change, not run away and made somebody else's country a filthy garbage heap like the one they left behind" Are you really this stupid that you cannot see the hypocrisy in that statement, you are living in America as a descendent of immigrants and you are hammering immigrants for doing exactly that which your ancestors did, so stupid. Oh agus an bhfuil tu in ann gaeilge a labhairt? no an bhuil to ag caint as do poll!
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Posted by MAGHNUS on Jan 05, 2010, 03:18 PM EST
Personally, I believe that the only people who should be allowed in Ireland are those who are Irish themselves or descendants of Irish, white original Irish...not Africans, not Muslims, not Indians. It disgusts me to know that my family's homeland has been invaded by these races and are complaining now of discrimination. They shouldn't even be there! If they don't like where they came from, then they should have stayed and helped make a change, not run away and made somebody else's country a filthy garbage heap like the one they left behind. The same goes for anybody else that wants to go to Ireland, tourists, etc. Ireland, as a whole, is nothing more than a people who want to be left alone and keep their culture and heritage in tact. Is it really that hard to understand? Apparently so. Personally, I believe that the Irish should give up the war in Northern Ireland and make peace with the British, only so they could have help in getting rid of all the worthless mooching immigrants who have implanted themselves in the country, and maybe they may have a good chance of restoring their culture and economy. Employment and education wouldn't be nearly as big a problem if the Africans, Muslims, Indians, and tourists we're all sent packing back where they came from. Ireland wants to be Free, and Ireland wants to be left alone. It's that simple. Erin Go Bragh! or for those of you who do not speak gaelic....Ireland Forever!
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Posted by IrishAndProud on Jan 05, 2010, 02:47 PM EST
plasticpaddy, that is (like all other pro-illegal-alien arguments I've heard) is completely irrelevant. Whatever wrongs that did or did not happen centuries ago does not excuse wrong things being allowed, today. Illegals have no business whatsoever in this country, and need to GO...BACK...HOME.
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Posted by plasticpaddy on Jan 05, 2010, 12:26 PM EST
Are you Native American Bob, if not your argument is just a tad hypocritical.


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