What this non-amnesty really is

LA to Paul Nachman, 5/17/07:

From the Yahoo piece you sent, here’s something interesting, for the first time, a deal that does not put legal permanent residency upfront:

The proposed agreement would allow illegal immigrants to come forward and obtain a “Z visa” and—after paying fees and a $5,000 fine—ultimately get on track for permanent residency, which could take between eight and 13 years. Heads of households would have to return to their home countries first.

They could come forward right away to claim a probationary card that would let them live and work legally in the U.S., but could not begin the path to permanent residency or citizenship until border security improvements and the high-tech worker identification program were completed.

PN replies:

The way I read it, they’d have legal permanent residency so they could legally wait here to become legal permanent residents. In other words, I doubt that any will wait through that period and then get turned down for LPR (unless, I suppose, they commit crimes in between—or maybe there will be eligibility problems if they spent significant time unemployed. Who knows? But if there was such a rule, I’m quite confident fraud would easily evade it.)

LA replies:

If I read you correctly, you are saying that the moment they get the Z visa, even though it’s supposed to take many years and require going through many hoops before they get to LPR, from that moment they effectively have LPR, because once they have the right to be here, no one is going to take it away from them. Is that what you’re saying?

PN replies:

Yes. It would be funny if it were some other subject.

Here’s something I found here. Brian Darling writes:

Title VI of a draft copy of the bill breaks down amnesty visas into three categories:

Z-1: Illegal aliens present and working in the United States up to Jan. 1, 2007.

Z-2: Parents and spouses of illegal aliens qualifying under the Z-1 category.

Z-3: Children of illegal aliens qualifying under the Z-1 category.

These “Z Visa” holders can stay in the “Z” status indefinitely, which means they never have to pursue “a pathway to citizenship.” They also would be able to get Social Security numbers and benefit from some welfare programs. Shockingly, there is no cap on the numbers of amnesty recipients in the draft language. The only thing the Z Visa holder can’t do is vote—until, that is, a liberal judge declares this limitation unconstitutional or until a liberal president can railroad through a “technical corrections” bill.

Some other links:

Useful note from Heather Mac Donald.

Inexplicable excuse made for Kyl by Lowry.

If Kyl didn’t like it, why not walk? He could try to make sure there are 41 votes against cloture: Most of the Repubs and a few Dems.

Lowry—You’re legal as soon as you have the probationary status.

So it’s amnesty up front.

Lowry—It’s amnesty first. Triggers are irrelevant: =

Andy McCarthy—Even if the proposed law weren’t a fantasy,the bureaucracy is a no-hoper.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at May 18, 2007 01:17 PM | Send