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Here’s What President Obama’s Immigration Plan Looks Like

Jan. 29, 2013 5:18pm Jason Howerton

LAS VEGAS, NV – JANUARY 29: U.S. President Barack Obama delivers his address on immigration reform at Del Sol High School on January 29, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Obama commended Congress for their bipartisanship efforts in fixing illegal immigration policies. Credit: Getty Images

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Declaring “now is the time” to fix the nation’s broken immigration system, President Barack Obama on Tuesday outlined broad proposals for putting millions of illegal immigrants on a clear path to citizenship while cracking down on businesses that employ people illegally and tightening security at the borders. He hailed a bipartisan Senate group on a similar track but left unresolved key details that could derail the complex and emotional effort.

Potential Senate roadblocks center on how to structure the avenue to citizenship and on whether legislation would cover same-sex couples – and that’s all before a Senate measure could be debated, approved and sent to the Republican-controlled House where opposition is sure to be stronger.

Obama, who carried Nevada in the November election with heavy Hispanic support, praised the Senate push, saying Congress is showing “a genuine desire to get this done soon.” But mindful of previous immigrations efforts that have failed, he warned that the debate would be difficult and vowed to send his own legislation to Capitol Hill if lawmakers don’t act quickly.

“The question now is simple,” Obama said during a campaign-style event in Las Vegas, one week after being sworn in for a second term in the White House. “Do we have the resolve as a people, as a country, as a government to finally put this issue behind us? I believe that we do.”

Shortly after Obama finished speaking, cracks emerged between the White House and the group of eight senators, which put out their proposals one day ahead of the president. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, faulted Obama for not making a citizenship pathway contingent on tighter border security, a central tenet of the lawmakers’ proposals.

“The president’s speech left the impression that he believes reforming immigration quickly is more important than reforming immigration right,” Rubio said in a statement.

House Speaker John Boehner also responded coolly, with spokesman Brendan Buck saying the Ohio Republican hoped the president would be “careful not to drag the debate to the left and ultimately disrupt the difficult work that is ahead in the House and Senate.”

Despite possible obstacles to come, the broad agreement between the White House and bipartisan lawmakers in the Senate represents a drastic shift in Washington’s willingness to tackle immigration, an issue that has languished for years. Much of that shift is politically motivated, due to the growing influence of Hispanics in presidential and other elections and their overwhelming support for Obama in November.

The separate White House and Senate proposals focus on the same principles: providing a way for most of the estimated 11 million people already in the U.S. illegally to become citizens, strengthening border security, cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants and streamlining the legal immigration system.

A consensus around the question of citizenship could help lawmakers clear one major hurdle that has blocked previous immigration efforts. Many Republicans have opposed allowing illegal immigrants to become citizens, saying that would be an unfair reward for people who have broken the law.

Details on how to achieve a pathway to citizenship still could prove to be a major sticking point between the White House and the Senate group.

Obama and the Senate lawmakers all want to require people here illegally to register with the government, pass criminal and national security background checks, pay fees and penalties as well as back taxes and wait until existing immigration backlogs are cleared before getting in line for green cards. Neither proposal backs up those requirements with specifics.

After achieving legal status, U.S. law says people can become citizens after five years.

The Senate proposal says that entire process couldn’t start until the borders were fully secure and tracking of people in the U.S. on visas had improved. Those vague requirements would almost certainly make the timeline for achieving citizenship longer than what the White House is proposing.

The president urged lawmakers to avoid making the citizenship pathway so difficult that it would appear out of reach for many illegal immigrants.

“We all agree that these men and women have to earn their way to citizenship,” he said. “But for comprehensive immigration reform to work, it must make clear from the outset that there is a pathway to citizenship.”

“It won’t be a quick process, but it will be a fair process,” Obama added.

Another key difference between the White House and Senate proposals is the administration’s plan to allow same-sex partners to seek visas under the same rules that govern other family immigration. The Senate principles do not recognize same-sex partners, though Democratic lawmakers have told gay rights groups that they could seek to include that in a final bill.

John McCain of Arizona, who is part of the Senate immigration group, called the issue a “red flag” in an interview Tuesday on “CBS This Morning.”

Washington last took up immigration changes in a serious way in 2007, when then-President George W. Bush pressed for an overhaul. The initial efforts had bipartisan support but eventually collapsed in the Senate because of a lack of GOP support.

Cognizant of that failed effort, the White House has readied its own immigration legislation. But officials said Obama will send it to the Hill only if the Senate process stalls.

Most of the recommendations Obama made Tuesday were not new. They were included in the immigration blueprint he released in 2011, but he exerted little political capital to get it passed by Congress, to the disappointment of many Hispanics.

Some of the recommendations in the Senate plan are also pulled from past immigration efforts. The senators involved in formulating the latest proposals, in addition to McCain and Rubio, are Democrats Charles Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Michael Bennet of Colorado, and Republicans Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Jeff Flake of Arizona.

Also Tuesday, in another sign of Congress’ increased attention to immigration issues, a group of four senators introduced legislation aimed at allowing more high-tech workers into the country, a longtime priority of technology businesses. The bill by Republicans Rubio and Orrin Hatch and Democrats Amy Klobuchar and Chris Coons would increase the number of visas available for high-tech workers, make it easier for them to change jobs once here and for their spouses to work and aim to make it easier for foreigners at U.S. universities to remain here upon graduation.

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Comments (25)

zman173rd
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:59pm
oops I put gun control comment in the wrong spot. Sorry folks

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zman173rd
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:58pm
Here’s what I see is going to happen and there’s nothing we can do about it.
1. The people will no longer be able to purchase weapons of any type from private sales and all weapons must be registered.
2. Back ground checks will become even more personal and you will be denied a weapon and not be told why. You must submit a written request and go through untold amounts of red tape to determine your status. And even more red tape to regain your right to own a weapon.
3. Under # 2 above, if you currently own a weapon you must relinquish that weapon until such time you can prove you have a right to that or any weapon.
4. If you are allowed to purchase a weapon there will be a waiting period of at least 90 days or longer, over and above the federally required waiting period.
5. ANY magazine will hold no more that 10 rounds maximum among other tighter restrictions for magazine loading types of weapons .

The government is in charge and your state legislators no longer answer to you, but to the system as a whole. You are not considered part of the system, just a necessary evil from which taxes are collected for the collective. You know I’m right. It’s too late. I’m so glad I was born in 1950. I had the greatest time in my youth and wouldn’t trade it for any kids’ lifestyle today. I’m proud to say I’m a combat vet who would again give his life for his country. BUT not so much for today’s fascist country.
It seems that no matter what you do or what you say, it i

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NOBALONEY
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 5:48am
President Obama outlined his three principles for his comprehensive imigration reform bill that he says he will sent to congress right away. 1. Enforcement: for businesses. 2. 11 million Pathway: Background checks, taxes, and penalties, and back of the line. 3. Legal improvement in the system. Sounded great, but doesn’t three cancel out two? Two is a background check on 11 milliom? Last time Congress was talking of 750 dollar fees during the George W. Bush immigration debate, and back of the line. If you review the tape you notice how quiet the crowd got when Obama outlined his pathway.

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- jwpowers41
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:45am
  We have existing laws in place that are not being enforced forget about letting 11 million stay
  deport them and let them apply legally jail employers who hire them
  
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tonypro
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 3:21am
This is no more than the next step of destruction for the U.S.

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- iampraying4u
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 4:12pm
  When king obozo makes the 20million illegals legal the end will come like a flood
  
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katzkiner
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 2:01am
Every time I see Obama on a stage I think of the old hook cane they used to snatch publicity hounds off the stage in the 1920s. Isn’t it time for another vacation?

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katzkiner
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:53am
Just what 24 million unemployed Americans need, 20 million more job applicants. With friends like Obama you don’t need enemies. You knew that.

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- zman173rd
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 11:42am
  They take the higher paying jobs to a new LOWER level. It’s only logical that the next election include close to 11 million new Democratic voters. It’s over folks.
  
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Eyeball
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:15am
Obama has no intention to secure the borders. And he is not interested making legal entry easier. He wants more illegals in order for them to work pay taxes to help support the government broke social security and medicare. Have hyouj ever wondered why an illegal pays into a ficticious social security for years and the government never questions it? It’s because they know it is free money coming in with no responsibility to ever give these people SS payments or medicare.

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waspanglosaxon
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 12:56am
Once again, the US federal government has shown weakness, just as it did in 1986 with the previous amnesty. Like the collapsing Roman Empire of ancient times, this sick giant is wheezing its last breath. Even sicker, though, is the pitiful GOP – a.k.a. “the Stupid Party” – for thinking that hiSPanICS are going to vote for them because they sold out their White base of supporters. Remember, RINOs, nobody – but nobody – appreciates a traitor.

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cosmic dogma
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 12:26am
obama’s immigration plan? That would be to open every port, road, or footpath into the United States, preferably for anyone who despises Christians or at least despises capitalism, and wants to come here and live on welfare while plotting to out breed and over throw the government. Faster the better. Destroy the USA with so many immigrants and debt, we will be a third world country in 4 more years. That is obama’s plan. And they all vote democrat.

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- katzkiner
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:48am
  You better check that out, I read on CNBC where they can pay in for 10 years go home to Mexico and still draw SSI or Disability. They get $40 billion in tax refunds for kids still in Mexico, not theirs. The IRS does not check..
  
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Advection
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 11:53pm
Obama is too arrogant to play by the Dem’s rulebook. He’s just supposed to pretend to tighten the border, while granting blanket amnesty. But that would be boring. Obama has to flaunt the fact that he’s not going to tighten the borders, and boast that *HE* is personally granting blanket amnesty.

Sieg Heil, obama!

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dmerwin
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 10:08pm
Reform, my rectum, this “plan” is basically “open the freakin door”. Got that from the teleprompter. I guess America really is as stupid and lazy as he thinks we are.

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13th Imam
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 9:00pm
His comprehensive immigration plan contains one sentence.

Do you, Paco, promise to vote for free benefits given by the DEMOCRAT Party for life?

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layosh
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:55pm
The cost will be immense. Citizens are entitled to reunite their families. 11 million immigrants with traditionally large families means 30 to 50 million new people. In the dictionary this defines the term: overrun. That is what you can expect. This country will be overrun, invaded and culturally Balkanized.
In addition the overwhelming majority of this crop of immigrants is uneducated, with minimal earning potential. That means no federal income tax paid, but all the benefits received. Who is going to pay?
You, of course. It will not take much time that the middle class perception on the newcomers will change from considering them unfortunate people who want to have a chance to have a better life to considering them to be threatening parasites.
That is what our politicians need! A new bunch will emerge that will want to purge the country, the other one will try to protect them from the fascist. Both will make money. We on the other hand will become even more divided and sink ever deeper into serfdom.
My optimism evaporates rather rapidly.

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- katzkiner
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:56am
  The cost to Fed and state government now is $330 billion annually. numbers.USA
  
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- flyingfox88
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 7:44am
  Spot on. If these people become citizens, they will have to pay income taxes. From what I read, many will also be eligible for government benefits, as now. The problem is that, since they are low-skill and uneducated, their income will be lower, therefore their taxes will be lower. The government benefits they will receive will then exceed what is collected from then in taxes. Thanks again, Barry.
  
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Thundergod
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:54pm
Desperately in need of some strangers hand,in a desperate land

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fedlibertarian
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:25pm
If we kill this amnesty at least we limit the growth of the 5th column. If we allow this there will be 20-30 million affirmative action racist policy beneficiaries, first in line for all benefits, and welfare recipients including free education, healthcare, food stamps, loan/contracting preferences, democratic voters with 4 kids a piece. America will be done for. Let’s just give America back to the Aztecs.

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- katzkiner
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 2:14am
  All whites need to invade Mexico, run the rest of them up here then seal the border. When the mayhem subsides we can repopulate the country. They have never built anything, just scam off the cr@cKer. In 20 days cannibalism and human sacrifice would be breaking out everywhere… I know, I know, racist, but unfortunately true .
  
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SCREW-WINDOWS
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:42pm
Gee it sure is a good thing that jobs and the economy is at the top of the list and on everyones mind.

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- TH777
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 9:24pm
  I understand what you are saying. We do have a lot of problems at hand but illegal immigration is also a huge strain on our economy. A lot of these illegal immigrants are receiving wages “under the table” therefore they are not paying taxes and are “stealing” jobs from American citizens. A lot of these people are collecting government money (our hard earned money) but I don’t just blame the illegals. I also blame the companies that hire them. These company’s should be strongly fined for doing so. To me, this issue is among the top issues to be dealt with “now” in this Country.
  
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- SCREW-WINDOWS
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 10:00pm
  So giving rights to criminals are more important than putting food on the table for law abiding U.S. citizens ?
  
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