A breaththrough compromise on this...?

I can get behind parts of this...

Immigration Legislation Compromise Announced

A bipartisan group of senators today announced a "breakthrough" on controversial immigration legislation, as the Senate cleared the way for a vote on a compromise bill that would create a temporary worker program and offer legal status to many of the nation's 12 million illegal immigrants. [...]

Under the agreement, the Senate would allow undocumented workers a path to lawful employment and citizenship if they could prove -- through work stubs, utility bills or other documents -- that they have been in the country for five years. To attain citizenship, those immigrants would have to pay a $2,000 penalty, back taxes, learn English, undergo a criminal background check and remain working for 11 years.

We're acknowledging that a crime has been committed by imposing a fine (although I think it should be higher) and we're acknowledging the importance of assimilation by requiring a working knowledge of the English language.  Two steps in the right direction.  But really this is just another amnesty in disguise, which there is absolutely no reason for.  And until we close the borders, there's no point to this...

I still have more questions about this...

• How long do the 12M illegals have to comply before being deported from this...?
• How long do they have to learn English and who pays for this...?
• Will we enforce this...?

Update: If La Voz de Aztlan is against it, there must be good news in this...

The US Senate compromise announced today between Democrats and Republicans proposes to send back to Mexico undocumented Mexicans who have been here less than 5 years.  This means that millions of Mexicans and their families will be uprooted and deported as was done during the US Depression (1928 - 1941) and again during Operation Wetback (1954 - 1955) in which 350,000 and 1,300,000 Mexicans were deported respectively.  The final version of the proposed anti-immigrant law  could take  more sinister overtones when it goes back the lower house where the original so called
racist Sensenbrenner Legislation originated.

Not known is whether the compromise still includes felonizing anyone who gives aid to those immigrants to be deported.  Undocumented immigrants who have been here less than 2 years will be picked up and just thrown back with no rights to their possessions.  Large concentration camps have already been built for that purpose.  Those who have been here between 2 and 5 years will still be thrown back with only an opportunity to apply for a workers permit.   The Catholic and many Evangelical Churches have said that they will break any federal law passed that prevents them from providing assistance to immigrants.  Also, many cities have passed resolutions declaring themselves "Immigrant Sanctuaries".  A Press Conference will be held at Maywood City Hall tomorrow by the pro-immigrant coalition that organized "La Gran Marcha" in Los Angeles on March 25 concerning future mass actions planned. The City of Maywood,Alta California is a leader in the Immigrant Sanctuary Movement.

Also not yet known is how millions of Mexican and other Latino students are going to react to this ugly news.  Many of these students are born in the US but have family members who will be thrown back across the border.  Their families will be torn apart.  Tens of thousands of  students in Aztlan and elsewhere  have walked out of their schools to protest the eminent danger to their families since March 24.  The students are now asking our elders to march with them and to help assure their safety.

The USA has a shameful history in its dealings with Mexico and with its citizens that reside in Mexico's former territories .  The US waged a criminal war of conquest and confiscated over two thirds of Mexico's territory.  It invaded Mexico through Veracruz and marched all the way to Mexico City (Tenochtitlan) where at "El Castillo de Chapultepec", the Mexican-American War's final battle, they massacred six teenage Mexican military cadets (Los Niños Heroes).  In front of "El Castillo de Chapultepec" the invading US forces then "hung" the members of the Batallon San Patricio (St. Patrick's Battalion) who helped defend Chapultepec.  St. Patrick's Battalion consisted of Irish fighters, who after realizing the shameful nature of the US war, decides to desert the US Army and fight on Mexico's side.

After the Mexican-American War, Mexicans in Mexico's former territories lost their land.  Vast "Ranchos" were taken by hordes of Anglos who migrated during the Gold Rush of 1949. Unscrupulous Gringos and Jews then learned to exploit Mexican labor.  They, with the assistance of the federal government,  allowed Mexican workers to migrate to the US when needed but deported them when they were no longer useful. That is one reason why 350,000 Mexicans were deported during "The Great Depression".  During Wold War II through the Korean War there was a labor shortage and Mexican workers were again allowed to migrate through the Bracero Program. Soon after the Korean War, the US government instituted "Operation Wetback" and 1,300,00 Mexicans were again deported back to Mexico.

This "Bienvenidos" and then "Hasta la Vista" US policy must stop.  We can not allow the continued devastation and tearing apart of our families.  We must put a stop to this exploitation once and for all. Let us prepare to fight back and to defend ourselves.  We must organize and mobilize!

Join "El Gran Boicot" to be held on May 1st  and let us have a "Million Latino March" on Washington in June or July.

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