New York, June 2006
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President Bush Addresses the Nation on Immigration Reform
 WASHINGTON, DC
On May 15th President Bush addressed the nation regarding immigration because it has been
an issue that has sparked many debates lately. Supporters of
illegal immigrants
have taken part in what have generally been peaceful demonstrations throughout
the United States while those against illegal immigrants have also voiced their
concerns. Some of the negative consequences of illegal immigrants have been
increased costs due to services like education and hospital care that is
provided to them. Many argue that this has put a strain on already limited
budgets. In addition, they have contributed to higher crime rates in
communities. However, Bush was also quick to point out that the majority of
illegal immigrants make a positive contribution to the United States.
President Bush stated that the immigration reform should achieve five main goals:
- Secure the U.S. borders
- Create a the Guest Worker Program for temporary
workers
- Hold employers accountable for the illegal employees they hire
- Deal with the reality that the U.S. currently has millions of
illegal immigrants in the country
- Continue to embrace America’s tradition of being a melting pot
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Bush wants to send 6,000 National Guard Troops to the Border
 U.S.-MEXICO BORDER
- Due to the growing number of illegal immigrants who are attempting to
cross
the U.S.-Mexico border, President Bush has proposed a short-term solution to
strengthen Border Patrol. He has suggested that 6,000 National Guard Troops or
Guardsmen be sent to provide assistance to the Border Patrol. The Guardsmen
would come from all over the country and would rotate every two weeks. Not all
members of the National Guard would be summoned for this duty. Guardsmen with
specialized skills like logistics, intelligence analysis, and mobile
communications would be called upon. National Guard troops would also have the
responsibility of setting up vehicle barriers and fences along the
border. Other
duties would include providing training and creating roads for patrol purposes.
Having National Guard Troops at the border would not be a first time, currently
there are about 420 Guardsmen at the U.S.-Mexico
border who are assisting with
the detection of illegal drugs. A total of 156,000 National Guard Troops would
be used throughout the year and afterwards this number would be significantly
reduced. This would give the Border Patrol time to hire additional Border Patrol
agents and to install new technology along the 2,000 mile border. Bush would
like to see the number of Border Patrol agents increase from 12,000 to 18,000 by
2008.
Vicente Fox, the Mexican President, phoned President Bush to voice his concerns
about the U.S.-Mexico border being militarized. Bush assured Fox that the
National Guard would provide assistance to the Border Patrol in the form of
intelligence and surveillance systems and not law enforcement. Guardsmen would
play a low key role. Bush also referred to Mexico as being the neighbor and
friend of the United States. Senator Harry Reid, who is the Senate Minority
Leader, has publicly voiced his concern about the National Guard already being
stripped too thin due to its recent deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Prominent Republican figures like California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and
Senator Chuck Hagel have also voiced their concerns. Governor Schwarzenegger
believes that the Guardsmen, many of them returning from oversea deployments,
should be allowed to return to their normal lives. This would also allow them to
be better prepared in the case of a natural disaster. A concern of the military
is that the border deployment of two weeks for the National Guard would take
place during the time that is usually set aside for their two week summer
training. This may adversely affect the National Guard’s effectiveness when it
comes to their primary roles. The main roles of Guardsmen are to conduct combat
and peacekeeping missions along with providing assistance during natural
disasters. |
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Long Wait for Citizenship
 LOS ANGELES, CA
- If one is a spouse, a parent or a child under 21 of a United States citizen,
then the immigration process becomes easier. It is not necessarily a short
process since the entire process may take even decades for some nationalities.
The first initial wait for immigrants occurs when obtaining permanent residency
in the U.S. To verify their permanent residency, the USCIS formerly known as the
INS provides the spouse, children, or parents with a “Green Card.” In addition
to these fees, the spouse, children, and / or parents must undergo a criminal
background check and a physical test. The USCIS wants to make sure that they
represent no economic burden to the United States, and that they will become
productive residents in the country. After five years of being a permanent
resident, the spouse, children and / or parents have the opportunity to apply
for US citizenship. For spouses, the time period is reduced to three years.
Once the application is submitted, the spouse, children or parents must wait for
a response.
In the past years, the fees for U.S. permanent residency and
citizenship
applications have increased. There has also been a rise in the number of
applications submitted. After 9/11 more applicants have also been rejected due
to stricter requirements. There are certain requirements that applicants must
fulfill. These include knowing the English language and having a record that is
clean. Clean means no violations of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI)
and not missing child support payments. Even if the spouse, children, or parents
have a record of not being employed, this may also hurt the applicant since the
United States wants to grant citizenship to only those who can contribute to the
country’s economy. In addition, the spouse, children, or parents must show that
they are of “good moral character.” Essentially, they have to show that they
will be good and law abiding citizens. This can be done by paying back taxes
owed while residing in the U.S. illegally, registering for service if they are
males between the ages of 18 and 31, and by having a clean law record. If the
child is over 21 years of age, is a relative or is a professional trying to get
a job in the U.S., then it is a different story. Those individuals must undergo
the same process, but approvals take longer because the spouses, children under
21, and parents of U.S. citizens take priority in line. Under both scenarios,
applicants for permanent residency and
U.S. citizenship should be prepared to
undergo a long waiting process. |
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Social Security Number Information and Application
 General
Information: The Social Security system was set up in the 1930s to provide
financial assistance to the disabled and elderly. Employers and employees are
required to pay social security taxes to contribute to this fund. Each United
States citizen and permanent resident (Green Card holder) has a unique social
security number in order to maintain records of the funds being established, as
well as to allocate benefits to those who are entitled to receive them. Some
temporary visitors, students and workers on non-immigrant visas are also allowed
and sometimes required to obtain a Social Security number. The
Social Security
card is a very important document in the United States. Not only does it entitle
the individual to certain benefits once retired, but employers, banks, schools
and the USCIS all use the social security card as a form of identification.
Social Security is a complex system that is linked to many other government and
private and databases and services.
Eligibility Requirements: Any person seeking employment in the United States
needs a Social Security number. A
Social Security number is also required when
filing taxes. Not everyone is eligible to receive a Social Security card.
Social
Security cards are usually only issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents
(Green Card holders) and individuals with permission to work in the United
States. However, there are 2 types of social security cards that are issued to
foreigners without work authorization, as well as foreign students and
individuals on temporary visas. These social security cards contain of the of
the following restrictions printed on them.
- VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION
- NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT
Application Procedures: The "Social Security Number Information and Application Manual" package
was developed to help a person complete and file his or her own application for
a Social Security Card. Download the Social Security Number Application now.
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Bush's Guest Worker Program
 WASHINGTON, DC
- President Bush recognizes the contribution that
illegal immigrants have made
to the United States. This country has a history of welcoming immigrants and is
known for its extensive diversity. Illegal immigrants come to the United States
in search of a better life whether that is due to political and / or economic
reasons. Therefore, Bush believes that illegal immigrants should be treated more
humanely when it comes to immigration matters.
Immigrants add to the economy and
he describes them as part of the American life. He has proposed a
guest worker
program that would provide numerous benefits for the hard work that
illegal
immigrants put in. However, the
guest worker program would not be automatic.
Like any other immigration process, there is an application that must be
submitted. Illegal immigrants would be allowed to remain in the United States
legally with a guest worker permit. The permit would be for a three year time
period, which could then be renewed if the requirements are satisfied. There is
no limit on the how many times the guest worker permit could be renewed for. It
is also possible that during this time the
illegal immigrants could seek
permanent residency in the U.S. While taking part in the
guest worker program,
illegal immigrants would be allowed to establish a savings account which would
be tax deferrable. Upon their return to their homeland, the
illegal immigrant
would be able to withdraw the funds or leave the account untouched so that
savings accumulate. The purpose of this account would be to set aside funds for
purchases such as homes, land, or businesses in their home country which may
otherwise not have been possible.
Other benefits of Bush’s
guest worker program would include giving
illegal
immigrants access to agreements made with 20 countries in regards to
Social
Security. Under this international agreement the
illegal immigrants would be
able to combine credits for Social Security and obtain
benefits when returning to their homeland. This would help the
illegal
immigrants create a safety net for retirement. Instead of wanting to remain in
the United States on a permanent basis, programs such as the savings account and
Social Security credits would entice illegal immigrants to stay in their
homeland. Another added benefit of the guest worker program would be that
illegal immigrants would be able to travel freely between their home country and
the U.S. So, if the illegal immigrants would need to travel to their home
country due to an emergency, vacation, or a special occasion they would be able
to do so. Bush proposed that some kind of card to travel abroad be given to
identify illegal immigrants in the
guest worker program.
Illegal immigrants could improve their economic situation by having the
opportunity to work in the United States legally and yet being able to return to
their home country. The guest worker program proposed by Bush gives illegal
immigrants the opportunity to experience the best of both worlds (that of the
United States and that of their homeland). Currently there are two different
versions of immigration bills by both branches of Congress. The version’s bill
from the House of Representatives is stricter when it comes to illegal
immigrants. The House version makes increased border security a top priority
including making a crossing of the border a felony and establishing of larger
penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants. On the contrary, the Senate
version also devotes more spending to border security, but this is not the main
focus of the bill. In addition, the Senate version includes a
guest worker
program which has received support from Bush and offers a legalization process
for the estimated 12 million immigrants. The Senate bill is more
pro-immigration. Both branches will have to reach a compromise of the
immigration bill which includes the possibility of a guest worker program. |
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