What is the $5,000 for?

Most of the informed commentary on the legalization provisions in the immigration package I have seen suggests that the $5,000 fee is for aliens who already have the “temporary” but infinitely renewable Z visa to apply for legal permanent resident status, which they can only do after LPR status has been “triggered” by the completion of the required border security measures. This would mean that the illegals not only get effective legal permanent residency, they get it for free. However, the Washington Post article I quote in a previous entry seems to say that the $5,000 must be paid in order to get the Z visa itself. If anyone has definite information on this please pass it on.

- end of initial entry -

DW writes:

My reading is that these illegals get the Z-visa right away. They have eight years to pay the $5,000 fee, fine, or whatever one wants to call it. After eight years they can go home to apply for a Green card to move closer to citizenship. Most could care less about U.S. citizenship since their anchor babies are citizens.

Who will be denied?

The Department of Homeland Security estimates that 15 percent to 20 percent of immigrants would be ineligible because of their criminal record.

Will these ineligibles be deported? Of course not and many will get lawyered up. How many will ever pay the $5,000 fee? Very few, the Democrats will strangle this in the out years to curry favor with immigrants legal and illegal.

(See other responses to The Five Thousand Dollar Question here.)

Posted by Lawrence Auster at May 19, 2007 05:54 AM | Send