Immigrants Wary That Bush Temporary Worker Proposal Tears Apart families [View All]

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Immigrants Wary That Bush Temporary Worker Proposal Could Still Tear Apart Families
By Suzanne Gamboa
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - ...under the Bush plan, Dolores and millions of others like her could temporarily work legally in this country. But once that time is up, she'd have to leave. And that, Dolores says, would break up her family. <snip>

Once their jobs end, temporary workers would have to leave the country to apply for legal permanent residence. Those who entered illegally may not be able to return for years.

That leaves Congress with questions as it considers the Bush plan. What will it do about undocumented immigrants like Dolores whose children are U.S. citizens? Or whose spouses are legal permanent residents? Should the temporary workers still be forced to leave?
"Do we have the appetite for asking parents of U.S. citizens to leave?" asked Muzaffar Chishti, director of New York University Law School's Migration Policy Institute office. "Are we morally prepared to, in effect, also deport a large number of U.S. citizens? That's sort of the moral dilemma here." <snip>

Bush's proposal also would allow the undocumented immigrants in the temporary worker program to apply for legal permanent residence through an employer. But immigration experts say that can't happen unless Congress waives a law barring people in the country illegally from re-entering for three to 10 years and reduces waits for approval of legal permanent residence applications. <snip>

A bill introduced by Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., and Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., would allow undocumented immigrants who have been in the country at least five years to apply for legal permanent residence after four years of work. The bill also would increase family visas. <snip>


Migration Policy Institute: http://www.migrationpolicy.org/
Urban Institute: http://www.urban.org/
AP-ES-02-11-04 1431EST

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