http://www.viettan.org/IMG/jpg/Zoe_Lofgren-smal.jpg
Republicans hardening stance on immigration
Carolyn Lochhead, Chronicle Washington Bureau
San Francisco Chronicle
Saturday, August 4, 2007
(08-04) 04:00 PDT Washington -- An anti-immigration backlash has taken hold among Republicans in the Capitol, led in some cases by the staunchest supporters - Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina - of the failed Senate bill derided by many as amnesty.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a San Jose Democrat, fended off GOP efforts Friday to block what in normal times would be noncontroversial "private bills" to remedy the most compelling individual plights of a handful of illegal immigrants caught in the labyrinth of immigration law....
...Lofgren succeeded in soothing matters in her Judiciary Committee panel on immigration, reaching a truce with Republicans to proceed to the first step on a handful of "private bills" to help three children of illegal immigrants avoid deportation. One, sponsored by Lofgren, would help a graduate of Homestead High School in Cupertino.
Mikael "Mackie" Alvarez was born in the Philippines in 1984, and brought to the United States when he was 6 on a tourist visa by his parents. His parents overstayed their visas and spent years trying to gain legal residence, but were denied and in 2001 were ordered removed from the country.
Alvarez's siblings managed to gain permanent residence after being separated from their parents' case, but Mackie was too young, and he was denied legal residence along with his parents. He went on to attend De Anza College, but was arrested by federal agents. Lofgren said he has been in federal custody since May 2...
...Private bills seldom pass Congress, but they do stay deportation orders as long as they are pending. Some are renewed with each Congress to allow individuals to remain in the United States. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., for example, has introduced nine such bills in this session....
...Democrats hope to attach the Dream Act and another legalization measure aimed at farmworkers, known as Ag Jobs, to other legislation. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said she will try this fall to include the farmworker proposal, which would legalize an estimated 1.5 million farmworkers, to a major farm programs bill.
for complete article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/08/04/MNJ7RCGOU1.DTL
thanks to Immigration Prof Blog bringing attention to this article
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