Good news, bad news for illegal Pinoy immigrants in US

WASHINGTON, DC — For illegal Filipino immigrants living in the United States, there’s some bad news and some good news.

Under a new bill introduced in the US Congress all illegal immigrants — estimated to number between 10 and 12 million and including some 200,000 to 300,000 Filipinos — will be required to leave the country within five years and reenter legally. In the meantime they will be granted temporary legal status.

Authors of the bill — Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, chairman of the Judiciary Committee’s immigration subcommittee, and Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, a member of the Republican Senate leadership — said it provides for an orderly and dignified way for illegal immigrants to return home. 

The new bill is one of many before Congress on immigration reform, an issue taken up by President George W. Bush 18 months ago when he called for the creation of a temporary worker program for undocumented labor to help businesses fill mostly low-paying jobs few Americans want. 

Two other senators — John McCain, Arizona Republican, and Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat — introduced a bill two months ago that would allow illegal immigrants, without leaving the country, to join a worker program and eventually be put on the path to US citizenship. 

Under the Cornyn-Kyl bill, illegal immigrants who leave voluntarily can apply to join a guest worker program. But they would only be allowed to stay in the country for two years at a time for a maximum of six years and they would not be allowed to bring their families with them.

Illegal immigrants who do not leave face fines of $2,000 a year for each year they stay beyond the five-year deadline and are barred for 10 years from applying for guest worker programs or for permanent residency.

Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas said he would reconcile competing bills that have been introduced in Congress and work with the White House and the Senate to coordinate strategy.

More security measures are needed and the government has to prove it can enforce immigration laws before voters will be willing to accept a guest worker program, DeLay said.

Legislators are divided over the guest worker issue. 

Some want to ensure continued access to immigrant workers while others are worried guest worker programs could provide a venue through which terrorists could enter the country.

Conservatives say if undocumented aliens are allowed to work legally without leaving the country first this would, in effect, reward those who break the law.

Liberals contend the vast majority of undocumented immigrants have already established their families here and realistically are not going to leave voluntarily with no guarantee of return. 

When Congress will take up this hot-button issue remains to be seen.