amitjoey
05-02 07:25 PM
Guys, this is the time to show the core group that we are a bunch of people thankful that there is IV to help us fight this fight.
We need to stand united and raise awareness and sign up for the $20minimum a month recurring contribution.
I understand that some of you do intend to contribute and have contributed generously in the past,
But here are some mindsets, All of us fall in these 4 mindsets.
1) you probably think "why should I sign up for a monthly recurring contribution program". I am a generous contributor and I contribute almost monthly anyways.
2) I have contributed enough.
3) I will contribute if I feel like, when I see something comming out of this effort.
4) I do not have to contribute.
If you are in category 1).I can tell you, I understand because I have been a generous contributer in the past. But guys, the reason I signed up for a monthly recurring contribution is that it helps IV know that 'X' amount of funds are guaranted every month, this way they can better plan.
Category 2) Contributed enough - Okay why dont just sign up for a minimum amount of $20/month once more. What is enough is not enough.
Category 3) This has been discussed, I do not want to talk about this category of members.
Category 4) Again - No Comments-
Lets show the core team that all of us fall in the first 2 categories.
The last thing we want the core to do is bite their fingers over funds. We do not want the core to get stressed out over funds. They have enough real work to do already.
Inspite of being a serious team player, and a generous contributor it took me some time (few days) to sign up for the recurring monthly contribution program back in Jan. so I give all of the ones that have not set up a monthly recurring contribution benefit of doubt. But this is our last chance, I urge you to be one of the 1000 people we need for this effort.
We need to stand united and raise awareness and sign up for the $20minimum a month recurring contribution.
I understand that some of you do intend to contribute and have contributed generously in the past,
But here are some mindsets, All of us fall in these 4 mindsets.
1) you probably think "why should I sign up for a monthly recurring contribution program". I am a generous contributor and I contribute almost monthly anyways.
2) I have contributed enough.
3) I will contribute if I feel like, when I see something comming out of this effort.
4) I do not have to contribute.
If you are in category 1).I can tell you, I understand because I have been a generous contributer in the past. But guys, the reason I signed up for a monthly recurring contribution is that it helps IV know that 'X' amount of funds are guaranted every month, this way they can better plan.
Category 2) Contributed enough - Okay why dont just sign up for a minimum amount of $20/month once more. What is enough is not enough.
Category 3) This has been discussed, I do not want to talk about this category of members.
Category 4) Again - No Comments-
Lets show the core team that all of us fall in the first 2 categories.
The last thing we want the core to do is bite their fingers over funds. We do not want the core to get stressed out over funds. They have enough real work to do already.
Inspite of being a serious team player, and a generous contributor it took me some time (few days) to sign up for the recurring monthly contribution program back in Jan. so I give all of the ones that have not set up a monthly recurring contribution benefit of doubt. But this is our last chance, I urge you to be one of the 1000 people we need for this effort.
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. wenn aus liebe hass wird
FredG
June 25th, 2006, 09:01 PM
I suspect you're in the majority, Nik. I figured the baby jogger would provide sufficient cover. :)
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. Schatz ich liebe dich
shadowbuddy
03-15 02:14 AM
Hi All,
I need your help and suggestions. In November of last year my wife and I submitted our medicals and AOS applications. Our checks were never cashed. I informed my lawyer after a month of not seeing the checks cash and raised the question then. They replied that there is a lot of mail going through that room and just wait a bit more. Another month went by, nothing. Then another.
Here it is March 2009 and my lawyer finally contacts USCIS to find out that they cannot find my original application. (no receipt notice was issued) During the entire last year and right up until March my Prioirty Date was always current. Now there is SEVERE retrogression and my PD date is now not current.
We have to refile. I re-wrote the checks and we are submitting the package again.
How can we demand that our application be accepted based on the original filing date of November when we were current?
would the dated medicals prove that we submitted in November. Who would get their paperwork done then sit on it for months right?!?!?!
How do we challenge USCIS based on their error. My lawyer said they have a delivery confirmation for the original application however I have not seen that.
thanks!
I need your help and suggestions. In November of last year my wife and I submitted our medicals and AOS applications. Our checks were never cashed. I informed my lawyer after a month of not seeing the checks cash and raised the question then. They replied that there is a lot of mail going through that room and just wait a bit more. Another month went by, nothing. Then another.
Here it is March 2009 and my lawyer finally contacts USCIS to find out that they cannot find my original application. (no receipt notice was issued) During the entire last year and right up until March my Prioirty Date was always current. Now there is SEVERE retrogression and my PD date is now not current.
We have to refile. I re-wrote the checks and we are submitting the package again.
How can we demand that our application be accepted based on the original filing date of November when we were current?
would the dated medicals prove that we submitted in November. Who would get their paperwork done then sit on it for months right?!?!?!
How do we challenge USCIS based on their error. My lawyer said they have a delivery confirmation for the original application however I have not seen that.
thanks!
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. Oder doch nur Freundschaft?
Roger Binny
10-25 11:52 PM
No-english ticket (http://www.kvue.com/news/state/stories/102309kvue_no_english_folo-cb.2464cdf97.html)
more...
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. und bekommt doch nur
dixie
09-27 12:45 PM
http://www.amazon.com/Flight-Capital-Alarming-Americas-Brightest/dp/0891062025
This is an excellent book .. a must read for all those xenophobes, restrictionists and lawmakers who believe we steal american jobs.
Wonder if contacting the author David Heenan will be of any help ?
This is an excellent book .. a must read for all those xenophobes, restrictionists and lawmakers who believe we steal american jobs.
Wonder if contacting the author David Heenan will be of any help ?
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. Ist es Liebe? Oder doch nur
andy garcia
11-04 08:20 PM
Is this something to be concerned about, getting AP before EAD , both are of course 124 days since receipt date.
How are AP and EAD related?
My son and I have never applied for AP and we have got two EAD's.
My wife on the other hand has never applied for EAD, only AP.
How are AP and EAD related?
My son and I have never applied for AP and we have got two EAD's.
My wife on the other hand has never applied for EAD, only AP.
more...
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. oder doch nur Freundschaft
life99f
05-25 09:33 AM
At least, the article shows the TWO side's stories from the people who against us and the people who favor us.
And more important is finally someone is focusing on EB problem.
Did you think it was for us then?
And more important is finally someone is focusing on EB problem.
Did you think it was for us then?
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. Pferde sind doch mehr als
solaris27
02-29 08:32 AM
its common RFF for 140.
Just ask your company to provide all required docs .
Just ask your company to provide all required docs .
more...
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. „Es waren doch nur Pfannkuchen
gimmemygreen
02-20 01:23 PM
Anyone who writes against following can be a dangerous white supermacist and needs to be followed closely to avoid such attacks :-
Indians
Outsourcing
Offshoring
H1b
Perm
Greencard
IRS
These people can be potentially dangerous. It grunt and that clown from Texas proved it.
:D:D:D:D
Indians
Outsourcing
Offshoring
H1b
Perm
Greencard
IRS
These people can be potentially dangerous. It grunt and that clown from Texas proved it.
:D:D:D:D
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. «Es waren doch nur Pfannkuchen
smodekurti
05-19 11:32 PM
mrane1,
Did you get back the documents from USCIS ? I too have done similar mistake sending the applications 2 days in advance. Not sure when would I get the application back.
Did you get back the documents from USCIS ? I too have done similar mistake sending the applications 2 days in advance. Not sure when would I get the application back.
more...
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. «Es waren doch nur Pfannkuchen
minimalist
11-12 02:59 PM
Yes. Its up to the VO to grant the period of stay. You could enter US even with one day left on the visa. Once you are on US soil, its I-94 that determines the duration of your stay (which has expiry date).
IMHO, that's a big risk as you will never know if the IO just gives for a month, 2 months or 6 months.
There is the risk of getting stuck in security processing if you apply for another visa as shared by another member.
For your friend's case s/he needs to weigh these risks and see which one s/he can take.
IMHO, that's a big risk as you will never know if the IO just gives for a month, 2 months or 6 months.
There is the risk of getting stuck in security processing if you apply for another visa as shared by another member.
For your friend's case s/he needs to weigh these risks and see which one s/he can take.
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. und das Leben siegt doch!
khris49
10-21 11:56 AM
I have 2 approved I-140s from same company with which I am currently working. One PD is end 2004 and another is end 2005.
My I-485 was filed last July with PD end 2004 (I-140 was approved way back in 2006).
Recently, an ombudsman inquiry revealed my PD to be end 2005 and not end 2004. The 140 with PD end 2005 was never used to file 485.
Anybody with similar experience?
How do I get this corrected?
My category is EB2 India.
Sweet_jungle, I am in a similar situation. My attorney sent a request to TSC 3 months back to fix the PD but no response yet. What did you do to open the obmudsman inquiry? Did you send him an email or did you send him a letter in the email
My I-485 was filed last July with PD end 2004 (I-140 was approved way back in 2006).
Recently, an ombudsman inquiry revealed my PD to be end 2005 and not end 2004. The 140 with PD end 2005 was never used to file 485.
Anybody with similar experience?
How do I get this corrected?
My category is EB2 India.
Sweet_jungle, I am in a similar situation. My attorney sent a request to TSC 3 months back to fix the PD but no response yet. What did you do to open the obmudsman inquiry? Did you send him an email or did you send him a letter in the email
more...
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. Freundschaft oder doch Liebe !
cbpds
05-17 04:50 PM
how convenient, she didnt need to pay or wait for CIR.
Some people are only too powerful and influential that others
CLEVELAND � A U.S. immigration court has granted asylum to President Barack Obama's African aunt, allowing her to stay in the country, her attorneys announced Monday.
The decision was mailed Friday and comes three months after Kenya native Zeituni Onyango, the half-sister of Obama's late father, testified at a closed hearing in Boston, where she arrived in a wheelchair and two doctors testified in support of her case.
Onyango plans to apply for a work visa and can apply for a green card after she gets it, her attorneys said.
The basis for her asylum request was never made public. People who seek asylum must show that they face persecution in their homeland on the basis of religion, race, nationality, political opinion or membership in a social group.
"The asylum process is confidential and she wants to keep it that way, so we can't get into details on why the judge granted asylum or the exact basis for her claim," said her attorney Scott Bratton. He added: "She doesn't want people to feel sorry for her."
Another lawyer, Margaret Wong of Cleveland, said last year that Onyango first applied for asylum "due to violence in Kenya." The East African nation is fractured by cycles of electoral violence every five years.
Medical issues also could have played a role. In a November interview with The Associated Press, Onyango said she was disabled and was learning to walk again after being paralyzed from Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disorder.
Onyango moved to the United States in 2000. Her first asylum request was rejected, and she was ordered deported in 2004. But she didn't leave the country and continued to live in public housing in Boston.
Onyango's status as an illegal immigrant was revealed just days before Obama was elected in November 2008. Obama said he did not know his aunt was living here illegally and believes laws covering the situation should be followed.
A judge later agreed to suspend her deportation order and reopen her asylum case.
Wong has said that Obama wasn't involved in the Boston hearing. Obama spokesman Nick Shapiro said Monday that the White House had no involvement in the case at any point in the process.
In his memoir, "Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance," Obama affectionately referred to Onyango as "Auntie Zeituni" and described meeting her during his 1988 trip to Kenya.
Onyango helped care for the president's half brothers and sister while living with Barack Obama Sr. in Kenya.
Some people are only too powerful and influential that others
CLEVELAND � A U.S. immigration court has granted asylum to President Barack Obama's African aunt, allowing her to stay in the country, her attorneys announced Monday.
The decision was mailed Friday and comes three months after Kenya native Zeituni Onyango, the half-sister of Obama's late father, testified at a closed hearing in Boston, where she arrived in a wheelchair and two doctors testified in support of her case.
Onyango plans to apply for a work visa and can apply for a green card after she gets it, her attorneys said.
The basis for her asylum request was never made public. People who seek asylum must show that they face persecution in their homeland on the basis of religion, race, nationality, political opinion or membership in a social group.
"The asylum process is confidential and she wants to keep it that way, so we can't get into details on why the judge granted asylum or the exact basis for her claim," said her attorney Scott Bratton. He added: "She doesn't want people to feel sorry for her."
Another lawyer, Margaret Wong of Cleveland, said last year that Onyango first applied for asylum "due to violence in Kenya." The East African nation is fractured by cycles of electoral violence every five years.
Medical issues also could have played a role. In a November interview with The Associated Press, Onyango said she was disabled and was learning to walk again after being paralyzed from Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disorder.
Onyango moved to the United States in 2000. Her first asylum request was rejected, and she was ordered deported in 2004. But she didn't leave the country and continued to live in public housing in Boston.
Onyango's status as an illegal immigrant was revealed just days before Obama was elected in November 2008. Obama said he did not know his aunt was living here illegally and believes laws covering the situation should be followed.
A judge later agreed to suspend her deportation order and reopen her asylum case.
Wong has said that Obama wasn't involved in the Boston hearing. Obama spokesman Nick Shapiro said Monday that the White House had no involvement in the case at any point in the process.
In his memoir, "Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance," Obama affectionately referred to Onyango as "Auntie Zeituni" and described meeting her during his 1988 trip to Kenya.
Onyango helped care for the president's half brothers and sister while living with Barack Obama Sr. in Kenya.
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. Doch nur die einzigartige
santb1975
06-06 11:11 PM
I will keep you posted.
Admins / Folks,
Any updates on this!
06/06/2008: U.S. STEM Advance Degree Numberical Limit Exempt Immigration Bill Introduced in the Senate
There is a bill pending in the House which was introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California which is similar to this new Senate bill which was introduced yesterday by Sen. Barbara Boxer of California. The House bill is H.R. 6039 and the Senate bill is S. 3084. Both of these bills propose to exempt U.S. advanced degree holders working for the U.S. employers from the numerical limit in the employment based immigration. The full text of the House bill is posted on May 11, 2008.
Admins / Folks,
Any updates on this!
06/06/2008: U.S. STEM Advance Degree Numberical Limit Exempt Immigration Bill Introduced in the Senate
There is a bill pending in the House which was introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California which is similar to this new Senate bill which was introduced yesterday by Sen. Barbara Boxer of California. The House bill is H.R. 6039 and the Senate bill is S. 3084. Both of these bills propose to exempt U.S. advanced degree holders working for the U.S. employers from the numerical limit in the employment based immigration. The full text of the House bill is posted on May 11, 2008.
more...
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. Doch in Ivan Reitmans Romantic
ivuser
02-20 12:08 PM
1.
QUESTION :: First and foremost - can I change my job as I am entering the 6th year of H1?
ANSWER :: Yes you can. Just have to be bit careful. The new company should first apply H1 for 3 years based your current approved I-140. Then start the new GC process with a request to transfer the priority date. It is best not to join the new company till the H1 and the new I-140 gets approved, in this way if some thing goes wrong, you have your current company to fall back.
2.
QUESTION :: Since it's going to be my 6th year, will I need to reapply for labor as soon as I change my job? Is there any timeframe?
ANSWER :: Yes, you need to reapply the LC. Though there is no time frame, you need to apply 365 days before your new H1 expires, so that you could get H1 extensions in the future.
Please note if you have an approved I-140, then you get 3 years extension. If your current I-140 is revoked then in the future you need a new GC process pending for at least 365 days to request H1 1 year Extension. Again if the future company’s I-140 is approved then based on that you could request 3 years H1 Extention.
3.
QUESTION :: Will there be any issue porting the Priority Date - especially since I am planning to apply on EB2 in the next job.
ANSWER :: There will not be an issue to transfer your current priority date (EB3) to the new GC process in EB2, just because it is EB3 to EB2.
Please visit the thread ::
Immigration Voice -> Immigration Information -> Green Card Retrogression -> Job change after I-140? - Opinions pl.
REQUEST ::
Please support IV.
DISCLAIMER::
The information provided here is of a general nature and may have error. I am not a lawyer. It is not to be considered as a legal advice. Please consult a good lawyer before taking final decision.
QUESTION :: First and foremost - can I change my job as I am entering the 6th year of H1?
ANSWER :: Yes you can. Just have to be bit careful. The new company should first apply H1 for 3 years based your current approved I-140. Then start the new GC process with a request to transfer the priority date. It is best not to join the new company till the H1 and the new I-140 gets approved, in this way if some thing goes wrong, you have your current company to fall back.
2.
QUESTION :: Since it's going to be my 6th year, will I need to reapply for labor as soon as I change my job? Is there any timeframe?
ANSWER :: Yes, you need to reapply the LC. Though there is no time frame, you need to apply 365 days before your new H1 expires, so that you could get H1 extensions in the future.
Please note if you have an approved I-140, then you get 3 years extension. If your current I-140 is revoked then in the future you need a new GC process pending for at least 365 days to request H1 1 year Extension. Again if the future company’s I-140 is approved then based on that you could request 3 years H1 Extention.
3.
QUESTION :: Will there be any issue porting the Priority Date - especially since I am planning to apply on EB2 in the next job.
ANSWER :: There will not be an issue to transfer your current priority date (EB3) to the new GC process in EB2, just because it is EB3 to EB2.
Please visit the thread ::
Immigration Voice -> Immigration Information -> Green Card Retrogression -> Job change after I-140? - Opinions pl.
REQUEST ::
Please support IV.
DISCLAIMER::
The information provided here is of a general nature and may have error. I am not a lawyer. It is not to be considered as a legal advice. Please consult a good lawyer before taking final decision.
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. schaut euch doch nur mal
drirshad
07-09 04:56 AM
LCA at 485 level should not be considered and that could be the reason u never heard of one .....
more...
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. ich liebe es zu fliegen,
nogc_noproblem
07-11 01:36 PM
Nope, just being 'current' doesn't mean everybody will get their GC.
PD movement temporary, Retro permanent.
1 year from now, only EB3-Indians with PDs of 2001-2006 will hang on the IV website. Everybody else(or atleast 99%) will be gone...
PD movement temporary, Retro permanent.
1 year from now, only EB3-Indians with PDs of 2001-2006 will hang on the IV website. Everybody else(or atleast 99%) will be gone...
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. doch mir is noch ne andere
thomachan72
04-19 07:48 AM
Please change the color or font. Its giving the feeling of getting a slap
Please concenterate on his message. It seems very important to the person who asked the question.
Please concenterate on his message. It seems very important to the person who asked the question.
liebe oder doch nur freundschaft. Liebe oder doch nur Sex?
Gator
04-14 01:12 PM
As per suggestion by members of the forum, I am planning on using a good attorney to file my appeal.
The new attorney for my company is 'Law Offices of Slowik & Robinson LLC' (http://www.s-r-law.com/) based in Columbus, OH and is supposedly very reputable and well known.
If you guys have heard of them or know about them, please drop a few lines here. This will help me make a decision as to stay with the new company attorney or go to much bigger firms like Murthy LLC.
Thanks.
The new attorney for my company is 'Law Offices of Slowik & Robinson LLC' (http://www.s-r-law.com/) based in Columbus, OH and is supposedly very reputable and well known.
If you guys have heard of them or know about them, please drop a few lines here. This will help me make a decision as to stay with the new company attorney or go to much bigger firms like Murthy LLC.
Thanks.
mandyharper
November 9th, 2004, 06:41 AM
I am new to SLR photography so I do not have any lenses or leanings to any particular manufacturer. My US$1000 has to buy atleast one lense to get me up and running.
I was going to buy the Digital Rebel but I am now considering waiting to see what the Olympus Evolt performs like. I need to have a camera before mid December as I am going on vacation.
Any comments? Is four-thirds here to stay?
:confused:
I was going to buy the Digital Rebel but I am now considering waiting to see what the Olympus Evolt performs like. I need to have a camera before mid December as I am going on vacation.
Any comments? Is four-thirds here to stay?
:confused:
navkap
09-20 04:26 PM
From Yahoo News
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/US/Immigration
WASHINGTON - The House voted Wednesday to require Americans to show proof of citizenship in order to vote, and the Senate moved to build a 700-mile fence along the Mexican border as Republicans sharpened attacks on illegal immigration before the midterm elections.
The 228-196 House vote on a new photo ID plan and the Senate's consideration of the fence were both part of a get-tough policy on illegal immigrants that Republicans have embraced after Congress' failure to agree on broader legislation that would set a path for undocumented workers to attain citizenship.
House GOP leaders have insisted that tighter borders and tougher laws must precede more comprehensive immigration changes. The House passed the fence bill last week and plans votes Thursday on other enforcement measures: to increase penalties for people building tunnels under the border, make it easier to detain and deport immigrant gang members and criminals and clarify the ability of state and local authorities to detain illegal immigrants.
Republican sponsors of the voter identification bill said it was a commonsense way to stop fraud at the polls. People need photo IDs to board planes, buy alcohol or cash checks, said Rep. Vernon Ehlers (news, bio, voting record), R-Mich., chairman of the House Administration Committee. "This is not a new concept."
"This is what Americans want," said Rep. John Mica (news, bio, voting record), R-Fla., "They want safe borders and they want safe ballots."
But Democrats assailed the legislation, saying it could hurt minorities, the poor and the elderly � groups that tend to vote Democratic � who might have trouble producing a photo identification.
"This bill is tantamount to a 21st century poll tax," said Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md. "It will disenfranchise large number of legal voters."
Rep. Ike Skelton (news, bio, voting record), D-Mo., said he was initially denied a voter ID required under a Missouri state law because he doesn't have a driver's license and couldn't immediately produce a passport or birth certificate. His congressional ID card was not accepted.
A Missouri court earlier this month struck down the state law, and on Tuesday a state superior court judge in Georgia ruled that that state's law requiring a photo ID was an unconstitutional condition for voting.
The bill would require everyone to present a photo ID before voting in federal elections by 2008. By 2010 voters would have to have photo IDs that certified they were citizens. In response to criticism that this would be a burden for the poor, the bill stipulates that states must provide the identification cards free of charge to those who can't afford them.
The Senate, meanwhile, voted Wednesday to take up a bill to build a 700-mile fence along one-third of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Action on the fence, which could cost billions of dollars, comes four months after the Senate approved legislation that, along with tightening border security, created a guest worker program and outlined how people in the country illegally could work toward legal status and eventual citizenship.
President Bush has supported this broader approach, but it has met strong resistance in the House, where opponents have said it was tantamount to amnesty for illegal immigrants.
Bush, in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, said he would sign a fencebuilding bill as part of efforts to strengthen the border. But he added, "I would view this as an interim step. I don't view this as the final product. And I will keep urging people to have a comprehensive reform."
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said, "While I've made it clear that I prefer a comprehensive solution, I have always said we need an enforcement-first approach to immigration reform."
Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada countered, "We can build the tallest fence in the world and it won't fix our broken immigration system." To do that, he said, "we need the kind of comprehensive reform that the Senate passed earlier this year."
The current bill wouldn't provide funding to cover costs of the fencing and other barriers aimed at preventing illegal entry. About $1 billion for the fencing is likely to be included in a bill for the Department of Homeland Security that Congress is expected to approve before its scheduled adjournment next week for the elections.
Also on Wednesday, a bipartisan task force recommended that Congress provide a path to legal status for immigrants who can demonstrate steady employment, knowledge of English and payment of taxes and who pass a background security check.
The panel, chaired by Spencer Abraham, former Republican senator from Michigan and energy secretary, and Lee Hamilton, former Democratic representative from Indiana and chair of the 9/11 Commission, also urged new verification mechanisms to assist employers in hiring only authorized workers.
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/US/Immigration
WASHINGTON - The House voted Wednesday to require Americans to show proof of citizenship in order to vote, and the Senate moved to build a 700-mile fence along the Mexican border as Republicans sharpened attacks on illegal immigration before the midterm elections.
The 228-196 House vote on a new photo ID plan and the Senate's consideration of the fence were both part of a get-tough policy on illegal immigrants that Republicans have embraced after Congress' failure to agree on broader legislation that would set a path for undocumented workers to attain citizenship.
House GOP leaders have insisted that tighter borders and tougher laws must precede more comprehensive immigration changes. The House passed the fence bill last week and plans votes Thursday on other enforcement measures: to increase penalties for people building tunnels under the border, make it easier to detain and deport immigrant gang members and criminals and clarify the ability of state and local authorities to detain illegal immigrants.
Republican sponsors of the voter identification bill said it was a commonsense way to stop fraud at the polls. People need photo IDs to board planes, buy alcohol or cash checks, said Rep. Vernon Ehlers (news, bio, voting record), R-Mich., chairman of the House Administration Committee. "This is not a new concept."
"This is what Americans want," said Rep. John Mica (news, bio, voting record), R-Fla., "They want safe borders and they want safe ballots."
But Democrats assailed the legislation, saying it could hurt minorities, the poor and the elderly � groups that tend to vote Democratic � who might have trouble producing a photo identification.
"This bill is tantamount to a 21st century poll tax," said Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md. "It will disenfranchise large number of legal voters."
Rep. Ike Skelton (news, bio, voting record), D-Mo., said he was initially denied a voter ID required under a Missouri state law because he doesn't have a driver's license and couldn't immediately produce a passport or birth certificate. His congressional ID card was not accepted.
A Missouri court earlier this month struck down the state law, and on Tuesday a state superior court judge in Georgia ruled that that state's law requiring a photo ID was an unconstitutional condition for voting.
The bill would require everyone to present a photo ID before voting in federal elections by 2008. By 2010 voters would have to have photo IDs that certified they were citizens. In response to criticism that this would be a burden for the poor, the bill stipulates that states must provide the identification cards free of charge to those who can't afford them.
The Senate, meanwhile, voted Wednesday to take up a bill to build a 700-mile fence along one-third of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Action on the fence, which could cost billions of dollars, comes four months after the Senate approved legislation that, along with tightening border security, created a guest worker program and outlined how people in the country illegally could work toward legal status and eventual citizenship.
President Bush has supported this broader approach, but it has met strong resistance in the House, where opponents have said it was tantamount to amnesty for illegal immigrants.
Bush, in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, said he would sign a fencebuilding bill as part of efforts to strengthen the border. But he added, "I would view this as an interim step. I don't view this as the final product. And I will keep urging people to have a comprehensive reform."
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said, "While I've made it clear that I prefer a comprehensive solution, I have always said we need an enforcement-first approach to immigration reform."
Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada countered, "We can build the tallest fence in the world and it won't fix our broken immigration system." To do that, he said, "we need the kind of comprehensive reform that the Senate passed earlier this year."
The current bill wouldn't provide funding to cover costs of the fencing and other barriers aimed at preventing illegal entry. About $1 billion for the fencing is likely to be included in a bill for the Department of Homeland Security that Congress is expected to approve before its scheduled adjournment next week for the elections.
Also on Wednesday, a bipartisan task force recommended that Congress provide a path to legal status for immigrants who can demonstrate steady employment, knowledge of English and payment of taxes and who pass a background security check.
The panel, chaired by Spencer Abraham, former Republican senator from Michigan and energy secretary, and Lee Hamilton, former Democratic representative from Indiana and chair of the 9/11 Commission, also urged new verification mechanisms to assist employers in hiring only authorized workers.
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