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On immigration, Hagel's bill is best approach

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Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 12:10:40 am CDT

Sen. Chuck Hagel played a valuable and potentially historic role in helping his colleagues put together a comprehensive immigration reform bill that tackles all of the necessary issues.

His work on immigration reform has been constructive and responsible.

Sen. Ben Nelson, on the other side of the aisle, seems more concerned about how the issue could be used in his campaign battle with challenger Pete Ricketts.

It’s with considerable wonderment that we watched Nelson join with the jeering throng far to the right of President Bush in calling the Senate legislation an “amnesty plan.”

That’s an unfair characterization of the legislation introduced and shaped by Hagel and Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., that won 62-36 approval in the Senate.

First, the Senate bill takes the necessary first step of closing the border to the flood of illegal immigrants.

The bill calls for constructing hundreds of miles of new fence at the Mexican border and building 20 new detention facilities. It calls for doubling the number of border patrol agents to more than 25,000, with a 70 percent increase in the number of immigration and customs enforcement officers.

In that sense, the Senate legislation is similar to the one-dimensional bill that passed the House earlier this year, which focused too exclusively on border security.

Hagel’s bill also would increase maximum fines to employers for hiring illegal workers to $20,000 for each worker and impose up to three years of jail. It would require immigrants and guest workers to show a machine-readable, tamper-resistant identification card that includes a digital photograph of the individual and would establish an employee electronic verification system to verify that newly hired employees are legal.

But the Senate bill, thanks to Hagel’s work, takes a pragmatic approach to the dilemma created by the estimated 10 million to 12 million immigrants already in the country illegally.

It would create a guest worker program and a path to citizenship. For example, an undocumented immigrant who has been in the United States five years or more would have to pay a $3,250 fine and back taxes, pass national security and criminal background checks, prove he or she has worked for at least three years, register for military service and demonstrate knowledge of English and U.S. civics. All other undocumented immigrants would have to leave the country and re-enter legally.

The bill is a major improvement on the crude and incomplete effort passed by the House earlier this year. If House conferees are sincere about trying to actually trying to solve America’s problem with illegal immigrants, the final compromise bill should retain the basic elements of Hagel’s plan. To correct decades of failed immigration policy, Congress can’t leave the job half done.


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Truman wrote on May 30, 2006 8:23 am:
" If Washington is serious about the immigration issue they should first enforce the laws that are on the books. The reason we have a illegal immigration problem is because our elected officials have for too long ignored the laws and not done a thing about enforcement. What good is a new law going to do when our government does not enforce the laws we have now? What happens when illegals don't or can't pay the fines or back taxes? How do we enforce that? How do even figure what their back taxes are? Do we throw them out when they can't/won't pay? Or when they don't pass background or criminal checks....do we deport them? I notice you don't mention that under the Senate immigration joke/bill the illegals in question would soon be eligible for Social Security. You also should compare the small $3250.00 in fines to the actual cost of becoming a citizen the legal way. I'm sure that was just an oversite by your crack editorial staff. The Senate bill is AMNESTY any way you spin it and Hagel is a joke. Do you think he would be pushing this bill if he were up for re-election? Not likely. "

 Phil wrote on May 30, 2006 1:47 pm:
" The Senate and the President are flat wrong in their rush to find a legislative solution to the illegal alien crisis. The fact that Chuck Hagel is instrumental in this travisty is not the least bit surprising, and the fact that the LJS editors are backing him just serves to reinforce my gut instincts. "

 Disgusted wrote on May 30, 2006 3:06 pm:
" Hagel and the President as well as most of the U.S. Senate are dead wrong on this issue. They are willing to forgive criminal behavior and not just crossing the border illeagally. A large number of those have used fraudulent SS numbers some some which have been assigned to other people legally which has caused those people great harm. I believe it is a felony to do so and those who have do so should be sent packing immediatlely. I used to support Hagel even when Republicans were talking trash about him, but no more.Also the Senate bill requires consultation with Mexican Government bodies prior to building a fence on the border. This effectively relinquishes soverniety of the U.S. to Mexico. It is treasonous of the Senate to do so and also for LSJ to suppport such actions. And there are those who say the illegals do not come here to break our laws. That is a joke. "

 James Hagel wrote on May 30, 2006 5:34 pm:
" The Senate Bill is a sell-out of the American Taxpayer. Last year Hagel endorsed spending $1.5 TRILLION dollars for illegals via medical, rural housing and employment, food stamps, and 37% of the WIC funds. Now this yahoo wants the American Taxpayer to triple that amount by next year. He has stated there is 4.5% unemployment nationwide, but what he is lying to you about are the real numbers. In CA. where most of these workers are to be employed, we are now experiencing 18-38% unemployment which you are paying for. THAT IS THE TRUTH. Hagel, just tell the truth, it will set you free and maybe you'll be re-elected...not. "

 Mark wrote on May 31, 2006 12:13 pm:
" When withholding was passed (many years ago), the wise members of the House of Representatives predicted that unless Americans had something "taken out" of their pay, periodically, they would not be able to pay income tax on April 15th. I'm going to try to predict the future: the proposed FINE is $3250 (not including back taxes). For a $9 an hour worker (that's what they pay meatpackers in Crete) that amount to HIS or HER ENTIRE GROSS PAY for 9 weeks! How many of us could do without pay for a couple of months? I don't see it. I DO see some ammendment (buried in a must-pass spending bill) that will forgive this fine for those who "can't afford it." "

 Bret wrote on May 31, 2006 12:21 pm:
" Hagel what a joke! The Senate Bill - what a joke! Hagel is doing what he wants to do to get political postion. If he was listening to the people of NE then his bill would have been a lot different. "

 Tim wrote on June 1, 2006 10:36 am:
" When will you people see that Hagel butters those who he can (he hopes) find recoginition. Like Senator Lugar, whom I personally know and respect. Senator Lugar would make an excellant President. Hagel's disrespect for Tom Osborne, as shown in the news picture laughing like a chessie cat that Tom lost shows what he is. "

 dave c wrote on June 1, 2006 2:07 pm:
" They are giving away our country to people who did not earn it. "

 H wrote on June 1, 2006 2:25 pm:
" Sort of funny to propose higher fines for employer's when they never fine them in the first place. Enforcement of this law would completely solve the problem; no jobs, no illegal immigration. "

 rich wrote on June 2, 2006 2:26 pm:
" nothing hagel does, or has done, or ever will do, will ever benefit NE - sure helps his cause - you need to look at his voting record and then match that with those who contributed to his campaign - it's all public record - you won't be a happy camper - like the man say's on TV - your fired - "

 Hjalmer wrote on June 3, 2006 8:39 am:
" Waaah! Nebraska dependably votes for the Republicans that allowed illegal immigrants to flock here. Business wanted a way to break the power of unions in food processing, transportation, manufacturing, and construction. Union workers were an important constituency of the Democratic party. Business owners hated the union work rules and demands for wages that would support a family. They got you to vote for candidates that wouldn't enforce illegal hiring practices by yapping about abortion, guns, and gay rights. You bought that ruse , and now you're surprised that we have millions of immigrants willing to work at a fraction of a reasonable wage? It serves to prove the quote, "People get the government they deserve." "

 Randy wrote on June 3, 2006 7:34 pm:
" Judging by the comments I reading here, its obvious the citizens don't agree with the editoral. I predict even though the majority of the citizens of Nebraska are more aligned with the house version than the senate's version of the immigration bill, somehow the senate's version will prevail. I for one will never cast a vote for Hagel again. The senate's bill is amnesty, amnesty for employers who have knowingly broken the law. Whats so hard to understand? Secure the border first, deal with immigration separately. We cannot reform immigration if we cannot control our borders. We cannot trust the government to enforce any enforcement provisions of comprehensive approach since they have failed to enforce the laws enacted the last time amnesty was given in 1986. The house bill is the correct approach, sorry Lincoln Journal Star your readers do not agree with your editoral. Unfortunately, our elected officals do not care what middle class america has to say about it. "

 Dave Avery wrote on June 6, 2006 8:56 pm:
" Who ever wrote this editoral is out of touch with the rest of us.Amnesty did'nt work in 1986 and it won't work now! President Bush said that Illegals would have to go to the back of the line to become Citizens. What Line? they get to stay here work and continue to receive public assistance at the American Tax payers expense,Nobody wants to talk about the cost to the rest of us! These people are not here for the American Dream,its the American Dollar they're after,each year they send over 25 Billion Dollars back to Mexico.Is it any wonder that President Fox wants us to keep them. "

 Rick Mills wrote on January 12, 2007 3:17 pm:
" Living in CA got my own problems with Boxer/Pelosi/Fienstien. So Chuck Hagel does not impress me his immigration,Security, postions are strange perhaps he should spend more time with his USO FUNdraing efforts.NO on Hagel. "

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