EckerNet.Com

Let\’s face it immigration can be a very divisive and emotional topic. And I\’ll be the first to say that it gets my blood boiling and my temper flare. It\’s a topic where opponents can get quite out of control and things can be said that perhaps shouldn\’t have been.

I\’m not retracting anything I\’ve said, and I stand by it all, but at the same time it\’s worth heeding the words of Rep. John Shadegg who pleads for level-headed and polite debate. He\’s right in that some people have crossed lines in criticizing their opponents, and President Bush is just as guilty of that.

After advocating for civil conversation, he then puts very rational and straight-forward rationale on why this amnesty bill is a piece of shit (my words, not his).

First, while it requires that illegal aliens who want a probationary \”Z-visa\” undergo a background check, stunningly, it provides that if this background check is not completed within 24 hours, the illegal alien is to receive the visa regardless.

Second, the bill prohibits employers from using the newly created system to check whether or not a job applicant is legally in the country before offering the prospective employee a job. Rather, the employer may verify the potential employee\’s status only after the employee has been hired. Even more bizarre, the bill prohibits an employer from firing or taking any other action detrimental to an employee when the employer receives notice that the employee is not lawfully in the country if the employee files an appeal. Such an appeal could take months or years. Employers trying to do the right thing are in a Catch-22.

Third, the bill treats illegals dramatically better than lawful guest workers. Illegal aliens who come forward may remain in the country forever, while guest workers who enter lawfully may only stay for a total of six years and must leave twice during this period for a year each time. Then they may never enter the country again in this status. Illegal aliens who obtain \”Z-visas\” may chain-migrate numerous family members; lawful guest workers cannot. The bill will encourage anyone considering illegally entering the country to do so immediately to obtain these enhanced benefits. While the bill requires illegal aliens to prove they were in the country before Jan. 1, securing fraudulent documents or statements to support such a claim will be simple and enticing given the favorable status afforded illegals.

Take heed Senators, America certainly has.