KEEPING IMMIGRANTS OUT OF HEALTHCARE

 

What?:

As current health care law stands, the 11 million undocumented people residing in the United States do not have access to any medical benefits.The current immigration reform proposal stipulates that an immigrant must wait 15 years until he or she can apply for any "anti-poverty" programs like Medicaid or food stamps. This 15 year period must also start after the individual has received a green card, and cannot be applied for during "provisional status". However, during the 15 year period after the person has received a green card, he or she will pay taxes into these types of "anti-poverty" programs.

History:

Since 1996 there have been restrictions as to what benefits an immigrant can receive in the U.S. while not having legal status. This restrictions were originally put in place as a means to decrease people coming into the country for benefits. This theory over the years has been proven wrong. Regardless of the lack of benefits being provided to undocumented people, immigration numbers have continued to rise in which the only drop has been during tough economic times.

How Could This Hurt the Economy?:

First off, any good business person would probably agree that it is important to have an maintain a healthy workforce. Having one or even multiple employees who become ill and do not have access to care can decrease the businesses overall productivity, which would be the same result if a parent has to take time off for a sick child that also cannot see a physician or get the proper antibiotics. The same children that may cause a parent to miss work will also be forced to miss school, which could lead to the child being less assimilated and not as successful in the future. If any of the people I listed above have a condition that worsens, in turn causing the individual to make a visit to the emergency room, all of these uninsured costs than fall on local governments and individuals. It would be more beneficial for the federal government, the citizens, and undocumented individuals to give them access to affordable health care and insurance.

http://immigrationimpact.com/

HOW MANY POINTS ARE YOU WORTH?

 

The New Immigration Reform:

The news immigration reform bill released last week is the official compromise proposed by the "Gang of Eight". The bill seeks to provide a pathway to citizenship for the roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants, while increasing border security and implementing a "meritocratic" system. Although the bill may seem well rounded, certain groups haven risen above.

Benefits of S.T.E.M.: 

If you are an immigrant who falls under any of these categories (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) than the United States has just become the land of infinite opportunity. The bill proposes to lift the numerical cap on these fields all together with the goal of attracting immigrants with degrees in any of these fields. These open opportunities would also be available for people with "extraordinary abilities" which can include athletic abilities, other academic fields, and even businessmen. Under the new bill, it pays to have very specialized skills.

Point System:

Under the new bill, there will also be points awarded to each undocumented immigrant, based on things such as education, employment history, and the amount of time the individual has been in the United States. The amount of points an individual receives will than be the deciding factor on whether or not the individual will receive one of the capped work visas, which total to 120,000. The number would than fluctuate each year based on the economic needs of the country.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/immigration-reform-once-more-with-more-meritocracy-20130422

RUBIO TAKES A CONSERVATIVE STAND FOR FOX

 

What Immigrants Won't Be Getting:

Marco Rubio took the opportunity to point out what immigrants will not be getting with the new immigration reform during an interview with Fox News. The Republican senator made it seem as though the immigration reform will not be giving immigrants "that much" status or benefits in the new political realm. The benefits they will not be getting according to Rubio are food stamps, welfare, and Obamacare. Rubio also stated that that an immigrant is in the country for at least ten years, the only think they can apply for is a green card which would be attached to a fine. Rubio also supports the critics view of making a green card harder to obtain than what is in now. The senator also used the term "illegal aliens" when describing the current situation and reform.

What Advocates Want:

Most supporters feel that the current immigration system poses too many obstacles for immigrants to gain legal status. They would like the new reform to make it easier for immigrants to attain a legal status and not cost as much money. Giving the immigrants legal status and allowing them to work in the United States would further help support the United States economy and allow the country to further prosper.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/14/rubio-immigration-amnesty-_n_3080184.html

LABRADOR: AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE

Currently:

Both the House and Senate are working toward an immigration reform plan, with an end hopefully in sight. The House has still not been able to reach agreements in regards to the guest worker program, or where the agricultural workers will stand.  Discussions within Republican and Democratic parties have already started, with opinions being given, and lines being drawn. In order for a truly comprehensive bill to be passed, everyone is going to have to get on board.

Who is Raul Labrador?:

Raul Labrador is a senator from the 1st District of Idaho who takes a conservative, Republican standpoint on most issues, including immigration. He is the only Republican who also holds a seat on the House Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee and has formed a tight knit relationship with many of the other young, conservative, Republican senators piecing together the immigration reform plan. It looks as though Labrador will be a very important piece to the puzzle.

Opinions:

In recent negotiations, Labrador has stressed the need for border security, and urgency for the government to ensure undocumented immigrants will not be able to drain the United States budget. He has been quoted in the "Los Angeles Times writing “the undocumented must come out of the shadows, register and undergo thorough background checks. They must pay all taxes owed, and pay a fine. They must know English and remain employed and not become a financial burden to American taxpayers. Those who have committed serious crimes or who do not willingly come forward will not be eligible for the program”". Previously, Labrador has taken an even harsher stand on immigration. In an interview that took place in February, he stated that neither him or his fellow Republican senate members would vote in favor of giving undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship, and was also quoted on NPR stating "the people that came here illegally, knowingly, I do not think they should have a pathway to citizenship". Neither of these statements alone or together look promising when it comes to the idea of reform. Hopefully Labrador can take the more "pro reform" stance he has been known for in the past.

http://news.yahoo.com/whats-next-immigration-reform-074257568--politics.html;_ylt=AwrNUbFDJmNRexoAUcTQtDMD

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/07/raul-labrador-immigration-reform_n_2638484.html

"W" VISAS AND REFORM

 What is the "W" Visa?:

In a recent agreement made by the AFL-CIO, the "W" visa was put into motion in hopes to fill the United States "economic needs"(Johnson, 1). This would be a visa available to immigrants in low skilled jobs like construction, or domestic work and due to the amount of undocumented immigrants already being employed in these fields, it is important to give them legality. The visa states that all immigrant workers in possession of the "W" visa will receive the same pay as their American counterparts. Due to the large amount of immigrants already here doing these jobs as previously stated, the new visa would provide legal status to around 11 million undocumented immigrants. A solution such as this will be necessary in creating a comprehensive immigration reform.

Problems:

• Those who are Against the Visa-

  People who are not in favor of handing out work visas for low skilled jobs, are those referencing Americas current unemployment rate (national 7.7 percent). These individuals want the focus to be on the U.S. citizens who are currently out of work, belieivng that any of these people would be happy and willing to take a low skilled job instead of giving the position to an immigrant. 

• Reliability- 

  There are also issues associated with the idea of the visas fluxuating based on the needs of the U.S. economy. This would require every departments numbers to be up to date and accurate. There would also need to be a decision made on who will have the ultimate say in the number of visas given out each year.

• The Plan- 

  The year 2015- 20,000 undocumented workers would receive the visas
  The year 2019- 75,000 undocumented workers would receive the visas
  
  This is how many workers the government thinks the United States economy needs to continue to grow, the business sector says otherwise...

• Actuality-

  In the last ten years, 350,000 undocumented immigrants have come to the United States per year to fill the "low skilled jobs" and when the economy was prospering in 2007, that number rose to 700,000. Although 20,000 or even 75,000 seem like good numbers, the business sector is fearful, and rightly so that the amount of "W" visas will not be enough to keep up with the growing U.S. economy.
  
  http://news.yahoo.com/3-ways-visas-could-still-blow-immigration-bill-075512795--politics.html;_ylt=AwrNUbEp7FlRxQ4AgjbQtDMD
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

BORDER "SECURITY"

Progress?:

On Wednesday's hearing in the House of Representatives, it was expected that Homeland Security would produce an estimated progress report for both the Republicans and Democrats. Instead, Mark Borkowski, a senior official stated the department did not have any progress information to provide Senators for their quest in creating comprehensive immigration reform. The Department of Homeland Security was asked to begin documenting progress back in 2010, as it was explained to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano that the government was in need of a reliable measure of the effects of Obama's immigration reforms in order to continue. The previously used "operational control" measure was dropped by Napolitano under the belief that it failed to accurately consider the number of agents and new technologies, a new system has yet to be put in place.

Border Condition Index:

In response to the demands being made in the House of Representatives, Mark Borkowski, along with other officials have now proposed a new measurement of border security titled the Border Condition Index. This program in theory, will produce a very broad and easily understandable assessment of the border. The index will take into consideration things like crime rates in cities along the border, and the legitimate flow of people and goods across the border. Although the Border Condition Index seems like a nice idea, the Department of Homeland Security has still failed to produce any figures, or specific pieces of the measurement, stating it is still "undergoing internal reviews" and cannot provide a date for the finished product.

Opinion: 

Reading that the Department of Homeland Security has not and does not seem close to providing an accurate measure of "security" makes one question the concept itself. How exactly do we measure security? Is it by apprehension of those crossing without documentation? Is it how many crossings there are? How many crimes are committed in cities with major immigrant populations? Or how "secure" each person living in the United States feels? The concept of security is a very fluid concept that I am not sure can be accurately measured and if it in fact cannot, what is the government spending so much of our money on?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/22/us/officials-still-seek-ways-to-assess-border-security.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&

BRINGING FAMILIES BACK TOGETHER?

Form I-601A:

This form, better known as the "Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver" will be available to immigrants starting March 4th of this year. The specific use of the form will be to bring families back together. The applicant must be an immediate relative of someone residing in the United States, either a spouse, a parent, or child under the age of 21. The I-601A form is used as a waiver for the three and ten year blocks of time the government currently allows immigrants to reside in the country without legal status. The immigration form seems pretty extensive and answering yes to committing a crime, or crossing the border without inspection will more than likely result in the immigrant being permanently banned from the United States. Immigrants are also required to have an approved green card application to apply for the I-601A, but the application does not require that the immigrant is out of the United States, and therefore he or she can apply before their time is up in the country.

Opinion:

Although this does seem to be a good place to start in reuniting families, I do not know if I think it is a real solution to the problem. It seems as though the entire process is costing a lot of money beginning with the deportation of family members, causing the separation in the first place, and then processing these people to be reunited. Focusing on the initial separation may be time better spent for the United States government, creating a step in the process to check into an immigrant's family status before separating them. Examining the problem from the beginning may prove more productive and useful when it comes to keeping families together in the United States.

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/filling-out-form-i-601a.html

http://www.immigrationdirect.com/immigration-news/green-card/uscis-beginsaccepting-new-provisional-waiver/index.html