US lawmaker slams immigration Bill

A top US Republican lawmaker has slammed the recently unveiled immigration reform plan in the Senate, saying the 'worst' message that can be conveyed while controlling illegal immigration is to 'reward' 12-20 million illegals.

The Republican Congressman from California Brian Bilbray has called it 'absolutely absurd' the notion that borders can be controlled when illegals are being legalised.

"The worst thing you can do if you try to control illegal immigration is reward 12 to 20 million illegal aliens with citizenship and permanent residency. That's why the border patrol agents oppose this bill.... the big mistake was '86, where we announced amnesty.

"We told the world we're going to reward people for illegal immigration. And just as the secretary said, we're now lowering the number of people of crossing. By announcing this, you're going to have the next big wave," Bilbray said.

Pointing that the country has witnessed the largest influx of illegal immigration since the last amnesty, he said, "What makes them think that if you do the same thing, you're not going to get the same results? We need to do employer enforcement. That's not what they've been doing enough of, and that's where we need to crack down on".

Last Thursday, Senate leaders unveiled a bipartisan package on Immigration reform that addressed a number of issues pertaining to illegals in this country including the paths to permanent residency and citizenship.

The Senate version also speaks of upping the number of H1B visas from the present 65,000 annually to 115,000 and perhaps even as high as 180,000

down the line. Senators have themselves acknowledged that getting an Immigration legislation through is not an easy subject;and the House of Representatives is yet to come up with any solid proposals or package and few lawmakers there have hardly said anything substantive on issues pertaining to H1B visas and larger issues of family based immigration reform.

"You've got to control the border and control our neighbourhoods before you even talk about anything like this. This is absolutely absurd thinking you're going to control the border when you're encouraging a whole new wave to come in and you watch, in the next few years, they'll say, we were just overwhelmed by the new numbers. We don't understand. Because you just told the gentlemen in Guatemala, come on in illegally. You're crazy to wait your turn to immigrate legally," the Republican law maker said on CNN's Late Edition.

"I don't think they should be able to get a special program. And this creates a special program and a special status for only those who are illegally here.... that's amnesty. You're creating a special status and a special program. And what does that tell the person back in Guatemala and El Sa lvador? Again, we're going to send the message we're going to reward illegal immigration," Bilbray added.

".... I think it passes if big business is able to basically put the pressure on and say, we give you Republicans a lot of money. We want you to deliver us a cheap vote....," he added.