Deal or No Deal? Immigration Reform…

In a continuation of last week's weekly update on the deal reached in the US Senate on Immigration Reform, approval and criticism of the bill has been voiced by both sides of the political right and political left. While perspectives on the right of the debate will likely claim the bill to be somewhat of an "amnesty" for illegal immigrants, the opposing end of the political spectrum might claim the bill to be "not humanitarian enough" according to Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

While the bill is aimed at allowing illegal immigrants to right their status, it will also focus on border security and even adopt laws for fines against employers who are using undocumented labour in the conduct of their business. While many of these goals are accepted in a general sense, the technical issues and how policy is affected are fueling much debate over the Immigration Reform Bill.

One of the contentious issues surrounding the bill is the proposal of an altered Guest Worker Program. Many see the new bill as focusing more on job skills and education, and less on family connections. This merit based system is seen by many Democrats as unrealistic and likely the most disturbing part of the new bill as most illegal immigrants in the US would not achieve possible merit based qualifications proposed in the new bill. Beyond the qualifications issue, a proposal to cut the number of guest workers to 200,000 and capping the number of workers is also adding flames to the fire on the debate over the immigration bill.

"The point system does not reflect how much Americans value the family ties that bind people to their brothers and sisters or to their parents," he said. "How many of our forefathers would have measured up under this point system? How many would have been turned back at Ellis Island?"-Barak Obama

Many Republicans also are concerned with the new bill, as Border Security is thought to take a second seat to immigration and newly proposed programs. This criticism is not new, as critics of the new bill point to past failures in immigration reform to secure the border and the current situation where illegal immigration has become almost unmanageable.

Beyond Democrats and Republicans, the concern of many immigrants in the US is also divided with regards to the new bill. While many illegal aliens, approximately 12 million may be able to gain legal citizenship, the new system changes connections via family ties in place since 1965 towards a system which values skilled labour and education. While people will likely adapt to the new system, it may be a challenge to both legal and illegal immigrants as much as it runs the debate on Capitol Hill. With much of the voting population taking clear sides on immigration as well, the issue may clarify the next election with Iraq as the two issues of most concern to all Americans, new and old.