Congress Goes Too Far Right On Immgration

Right before leaving for the year, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed an immigration bill. The bill was described by Mexican President Vicente Fox as "shameful" in the New York Times. It's main sponsor was the odious James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin). It is unlikely that such a xenophobic bill will have much traction in the Senate so that is doubtful that any of the very many onerous provisions will ultimately become law.

Here is a brief list of some of the 169 page bill's contents :

1. Requires employers to use within six years a database to verify Social Security numbers of employees or face civil or criminal penalties for hiring illegal workers.
2. Requires detention for all non-Mexican illegal immigrants arrested at ports of entry or at land and sea borders by Oct. 1, 2006.
3. Establishes mandatory sentences for smuggling illegal immigrants and for re-entering the country illegally after deportation.
4. Makes illegal presence in the country a crime.
5. Makes a drunken driving conviction a deportable offense.
6. Requires building five two-layer fences in parts of California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona on the U.S.-Mexican border. Places priority on fence at Laredo, Texas.
7. Requires the departments of Defense and Homeland Security to develop a joint plan on increased use of military surveillance equipment on the border.
8. Requires Border Patrol uniforms to be made in the United States, not Mexico.
9. Prohibits the attorney general from providing grant money to any federal, state or local government agency or entity that fails to provide the Department of Homeland Security with information on a person's citizenship or immigration status.
10. Eliminates the visa lottery program.
11. Makes wording of oath of citizenship recited in naturalization ceremonies law to prevent changes without congressional action.

The bill passed the House 239-182. Today's Los Angeles Times has an article on Rep. Tom Tancredo, one of the main proponents of the recently passed bill, as well as a piece analyzing family-based immigration in the United States. I suspect as 2006's political season heats up immigration will become an even more salient issue. I find it hard to believe that a majority of Californians will be following the House of Representatives' lead on this matter.