Dems in charge: What do you think their approach will be on illegal immigration?

I think, unfortunately, that the Democrats and Bush will agree to a functional amnesty and an even more lax enforcement policy.

Several Democrats won by promising to be tougher on illegal immigration, but the Democrat leadership strongly favors it.

Unless there is some coalition of conservative Democrats and the dispirited and disorganized Republicans, get ready for the floodgates to open even more.

I honestly don't expect a tougher enforcement stance from this congress than we had last time. The Republican House was all we had standing between us and amnesty. But the people voted, and now they will get what they voted for! I hope I'm wrong, but I fear I'm right.

That is the big question, isn't it? The globalists, Dem and Repub already have an amnesty bill in the works starting with the Senate Bill but removing the idea that only some of those here would be able to stay, based on how long they've been here. I don't know what the other terms say, but the fact that is is based on the Senate Bill and brought by Kennedy McCain and others is not encouraging.

A number of Republicans were elected to push for rational immigration protecting our schools and services, and a number of Democrats were elected on the same principle. However, the Dems are new and it looks like the entrenched globalists hope to hit before any organization of those opposed might occur. The Dems will have to hear from their constituents to oppose it, as well.

Feinstein did say, post election, that she thought the Senate Bill was 'too big'. However I think the sponsors of the new bill hope to frame the argument in a 'should it be a bigger bill or the same bill' and ignore other possibilities.

Hopefully the opposition isn't as disorganized as they hope, but we need to be on our toes.

I read this in the New York Times this morning.You can take it for what you get from it ,its interesting.Below are excerts for the entire story go to:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/26/washington/26imm...

The House Democrats are concerned about protecting newly elected moderate and conservative Democrats, some of whom had campaigned against legalizing illegal immigrants.

It is also unclear whether Mr. Gutierrez and Mr. Flake will produce the only House legislation on immigration and whether their plan will ultimately become the basis for the bill that emerges.

In the Senate, Mr. Kennedy’s bill certainly has the backing of the Democratic leadership, Congressional aides said.

Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, argued that expanding citizenship eligibility and abandoning financing for the fence would alienate moderates in both parties. The three-tier legalization system, a hard-fought compromise, was critical for moderate Republican support for the original bill.

The plan under consideration would allow 10 million or 11 million illegal immigrants to become eligible to apply for citizenship without returning home, up from 7 million in the original Senate bill. To be granted citizenship, they would have to remain employed, pass background checks, pay fines and back taxes, and enroll in English classes.

“I think it’s a nonstarter,” said Mr. Cornyn, who opposes a path to citizenship for illegal workers, but supports a plan for temporary workers that would let foreigners work here temporarily before returning home.

Congressional aides and lawyers familiar with the proposed bills emphasize that it will be very difficult for a smaller group of illegal immigrants, those who arrived after a certain date, perhaps 2004, to become citizens. The aides said the bill might include incentives for illegal immigrants to leave the country. While they hope such elements may ease concerns, many challenges remain.

Some powerful unions, which expect to exert more leverage in the new Congress, remain deeply opposed to the temporary worker program in the Senate bill. The unions say it threatens American jobs.

Officials at the A.F.L.-C.I.O. say they can scuttle such a plan next year, even though

I wish I feel on it but I don't. There's still conservative Democrats in there but I can't off the top of my head think of 1 who is totally firm on the issue. Too many confirmed fence riders. I already know in my state they've given themselves a raise. Started programs we have not 1 cent to pay for. In fact we're so far in the hole it's not funny. Lulac and all those want something like 25 MILLION to set up "immigrant sites" so they can find what all the different services are that legal and illegal immigrants can qualify for and a place to learn English. They want special funding for latino women and children because of the huge rise in spousal abuse. Another program for the latinos because of the huge problem with drunk driving. They say they need them because they are too afraid to go through the same process the rest of us have to. Now what I don't get is if they are entitled to this.....why the special set up just for them since I don't think there's been one deportation of a mom at the welfare office or no increased ICE raids at any of these places. It's only for latinos....not any other legal or illegal group. There's not a site that any American can go to that will tell you every service that is available to you, fill your papers out and get it for you. We have abuse shelters for domestic violence but they want a "special" one so they can teach "cultural" differences even though they themselves admit that world wide spousal abuse is considered a crime some just don't enforce it. We don't have enough shelters to take care of the need of our own citizens but my tax dollars are to fund more just for the use of latinos? Which of course includes finding housing and job training that other abused women could benefit from as well.

Now I can understand when they share the same issues that the rest of us do and need to see more done in those areas.......but these are proposed tax funded benefits JUST for latinos, legal AND illegal. Forget everybody else. I can't wait to see what "special funding" will be needed for just the latino elderly while the rest of us have to deal with too bad SS is bust and sorry you didn't make enough to put any away with all the lowering of pay and tax increases and such.

So I see an increase of "special services for the latino" while the rest of us just keep paying the bills.

Both the Democrats and the Republicans want to give them amnesty; they just use different terminology. They want corporations to have cheap labor while Americans cannot find decent jobs.

Pelosi already is in crybaby/whining mode. Called the arrests of illegals at Wal-mart "terrorizing".

"MEXICO CITY, Oct 24 (Reuters) - U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said on Friday police raids on dozens of U.S. Wal-Mart stores in the search for illegal immigrants this week amounted to "terrorizing" workers.

"It instills a great deal of fear in people who are only trying to earn a living and put food on the table for their family," Pelosi, a California Democrat, told reporters on a Congressional visit to Mexico.

Hundreds of workers at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (nyse: WMT - news - people) locations across the United States were arrested on immigration charges on Thursday in an investigation into contractor cleaning crews".

http://www.forbes.com/markets/newswire/2003/10/24/...

I'm a Dem. and i think this time they may bring us down to a 3rd world living just so the illegals can have their cry baby way. god help us.

nothing. we will be overrun and overpopulated with people that don't deserve to be in the country in the first place. just like the dems wont do anything to help the situation in iraq or anything else for that matter.

god help us if we get a dem for president.

the funding will go away for the fence, your taxes will be raised to cover the costs of the illegals, your children will continue to have their education put in jeopardy while we wait for the Spanish kids to catch up, and social security will be totally FD.

they are two halves of the same party, nothing will change. They serve corporate interests who demand cheap, exploitable labor. We're screwed