 Bush
seeks momentum for 'Temporary Worker Program'
NOV 28: President Bush plans to address an issue that has
divided some members of his own Republican Party -- illegal
immigration.
After spending the Thanksgiving holiday weekend with family
at his Crawford ranch, the president will visit Tucson,
Arizona, on Monday, and El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday.
According to reports, he plans to make a speech on
immigration. It will focus on two other areas besides
temporary worker program: border security and enforcement.
Agency reports quote a senior official saying Bush will talk about his proposal
for a temporary worker program that would allow illegal
immigrants to obtain legal status. The president first
introduced the idea in January 2004.
Bush proposed changing U.S. immigration laws to allow
illegal immigrants to obtain legal status as temporary
workers in jobs U.S. employers were unable to fill with
Americans.
The plan would allow undocumented workers to obtain
three-year temporary visas, renewable once. After those
visas expire, the workers could apply for U.S. citizenship
but would not be given preferential treatment over others.
But some conservatives have fiercely opposed the program,
viewing it as a form of amnesty for people who have entered
the U.S. illegally.
Because of that, one GOP analyst said, the Bush
administration has a delicate balance to strike in appeasing
those conservatives by talking tough on border security
without alienating Hispanics, women and swing voters.
Meanwhile, Bush is also getting
resistance from industries that rely on foreign workers.
They say illegals have become a significant part of the
economy. About half the nation's nearly 2 million farm
workers are illegal immigrants, and they were in such short
supply last year that farmers in California had to extend
the harvest season and still lost crops.
Undocumented desis from South Asian countries, specially
Pakistanis, Afghanis and Bangladeshis would benefit from
such a program.
Most undocumented desis, according to one finding, are
clustered around big metropolitan cities like New York,
Chicago, California, Texas and Florida, who have overstayed
their political asylum permit, or have chosen to overstay
due to economic reasons.
In addition, Bush will talk about adding beds to detention
facilities "so we aren't catching and releasing illegal
immigrants."
A majority of Americans did not favor Bush's plan, according
to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll which was conducted in
January 2004.Fifty-five percent of the respondents had
said they disapproved of the new proposal. Asked if the
United States should make it easier for illegal immigrants
to become U.S. citizens, 74 percent said no. A similar
number, 77 percent, said immigrants do not take jobs U.S.
workers want.
The poll was conducted by telephone between January 9 and
11 2004 at the time of the Summit of the Americas in Mexico
and included interviews with 1,003 adult Americans. It had a
margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
No recent poll has been conducted or its result available at
this time.
New bill would let some immigrants gain legal status
NOV 27: United States Senator Richard Lugar, R-Indiana, is
co-sponsoring legislation that would permit undocumented
(illegal) immigrants who grew up in the United States to
become legal citizens.
Under the bill, which was introduced a week and a half
ago, youths who complete high school or the equivalent would
earn conditional legal status. They then would be given six
years to earn a college degree, complete trade school
training or join the military. After that, the immigrants'
status would become permanent, clearing the way for them to
seek U.S. citizenship, reports Kentucky based newspaper
The Courier-Journal on Sunday.
About 50,000 undocumented (illegal) immigrants graduate
from high schools annually, according to Senator Lugar
"However, without legal status, they cannot secure a job
or afford to attend college," he said in a statement. "This
measure will provide these young people with an incentive to
move towards permanent residency while pursuing an education
or other worthwhile service."
Post Sept 11, many South Asian children, with or without
their parents have either gone back or moved to Canada,
having taken political asylums or waiting to get their cases
approved by Canadian authorities.
The bill, if passed, would particularly benefit undocumented
desi immigrant students in New York, California and
few other states which allow their schooling.
Senators Chuck Hagel, R-Nebraska, and Richard Durbin,
D-Illinois, are co-sponsors with Lugar of the Development,
Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act.
Lugar, 73 is Indiana's
longest serving senator, is one of the most popular
politicians in state history and appears poised for a
stroll to a sixth term, says one news report.
Pakistani-American
activist picked up by FBI
Nov 26: A prominent activist of the Pakistani community in
Texas was arrested this week apparently for not having
proper legal status for staying in the United States.
Khalid Ali was talking to a group of friends outside the
Shahnai restaurant in Houston, Texas, when some FBI
officials approached him and asked him to accompany them.
“They told us that he is wanted for some investigation,”
said Tariq Khan, one of the friends Mr Ali was talking to
when taken into custody. “They gave no further information.”
Later, some friends learned that the FBI was investigating
his status in the US. Although he was arrested on Tuesday
night, his friends have not been able to get more
information about the action, partly because of the long
Thanksgiving holidays in the United States.
NRI
is Asian 2005
London, Nov. 25: Social activist and fund-raiser Surina
Narula followed in the footsteps of other NRIs like
entrepreneurs Lord Swraj Paul and Sir Gulam Noon to be named
the Asian of the Year 2005 at the annual Asian Who’s Who
awards ceremony here on Thursday evening. Co-chairman and
trustee of the Consortium of Street Children, a network of
over 40 UK-based development agencies, the London-based
campaigner was picked by the Who’s Who panel of NRI
businessmen and politicians for her work with street
children around the world, including the slums of India.
“I accept this award as a recognition of all the work
achieved by the charities I am associated with and as a
reminder of all that remains to be done,” Ms Narula said as
she accepted the trophy. (Deccan Chronicle)
Canada
sets $920 million for immigrants
Funding will go into language training, job counseling
and helping Ontario recruit qualified immigrants for
specific labor-market needs
NOV 25: Ottawa has pledged to quadruple immigration funding
to Ontario in a $920-million (Canadian dollars) deal,
announced Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Joe Volpe.
The money will be spent over the next five years for a
settlement program in the province of Ontario.
Of the thousands of new immigrants who come to Canada each
year, more than half, or about 125,000, make their homes in
Ontario. The Ontario government has long complained that it
doesn’t get enough funding to help these new immigrants.
Ontario receives $800 for each immigrant while Quebec
receives $3,800. With the new deal, Ontario’s funding per
immigrant will increase to $3,400 over the next five years.
According to the 2001 census, about 27 percent of Ontario
residents and 42 percent of people living in Toronto were
born outside Canada. Toronto receives about 30 per cent of
Canada's immigrants.
The $920m funding, part of the first-ever comprehensive
agreement between the governments of Ontario and Canada,
will help ease the transition for newcomers into Canadian
society. Funding will go into programs such as language
training and job counseling.
The agreement will formalize how the two levels of
government work together on immigration. It will also see
the development of the Ontario Provincial Nominee Program
that will allow Ontario to recruit qualified immigrants for
specific labor-market needs.
In a press conference, Volpe denied the funding announcement
was an election promise and said that the deal is a
“contractual obligation” that won’t change if there’s a
change in federal government.
|
Articles
