Benefits differ for immigrants under two plans

By Florangela Davila
Seattle Times staff reporter

Edward Kennedy

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"You have to respect our rights," said Pedro Jimenez, who told of being held captive by a Texas rancher upon crossing illegally into the U.S. from Mexico in 1998.

Jimenez works with day laborers at CASA Latina, whose Worker Center at Battery Street and Western Avenue hosted yesterday morning's rally, a show of support for new immigration legislation.

In what the Democratic Party sees as an answer to President Bush's temporary-worker proposal, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Rep. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., yesterday unveiled a plan that would, among several things, grant legal U.S. residency to millions of illegal immigrants.

The legislation, dubbed the SOLVE Act, ("Safe, Orderly, Legal Visa and Enforcement Act of 2004"), was lauded by about 75 people gathered at the Worker Center, a few thrusting "We need our dignity" placards into the air.

Proposals for immigration reform Immigration reform as proposed by congressional Democrats and President Bush: Illegal immigrants Democrats: Those who have lived in the United States at least five years, worked at least 24 months, pass a background check and medical exam, and demonstrate English proficiency could obtain permanent resident status (green cards). Those here for fewer than five years could apply for temporary status. Bush: Illegal immigrants could apply for a temporary worker card, but would have to seek green cards separately and would get no special consideration. They would have to pass a background check and pay a registration fee. The temporary worker card would be good for three years and could be renewed for another three. Guest worker Democrats: A maximum of 350,000 guest workers could be admitted each year under two new programs. Employers must certify that U.S. workers are not available and the Labor Department must find that employment of foreign workers would not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of U.S. workers. Workers could seek green cards after two years. Bush: No limit on number of guest workers. Would match willing workers with willing employers when no U.S. worker could be found for the job. Guest workers could bring their immediate families, and would be covered by U.S. wage and workplace safety laws. Workers could save money in tax-sheltered accounts to build a nest egg for their return home. They would get credit for Social Security contributions. Legal immigration Democrats: Would promote family reunification by reducing or eliminating the years of waiting that legal immigrants now face to bring relatives to the U.S. from their home countries. Bush: Would seek what he described as a reasonable increase in legal immigration. The U.S. now admits about 1 million legal immigrants a year. Enforcement Democrats: No major new enforcement initiatives. Bush: Would increase enforcement against employers who continue to hire illegal immigrants. Source: The Los Angeles Times

The Seattle rally echoed 11 others held in various cities yesterday.

It was a momentary assembly at a site where dozens of Latino men arrive at 6 a.m. each morning to get gardening or construction jobs that pay a minimum of $10 an hour.

Workers register and go through an orientation program before being allowed to participate in a lottery for available jobs. Some of the men find work on their own, soliciting prospective jobs from passing motorists.

About 1,000 people a year pass through the center, which is a trailer with a pair of makeshift classrooms, portable toilets and an outdoor faucet. Organizers assist legal and illegal immigrant alike, provided they follow certain rules, such as no drinking on the property. CASA Latina administrators do not ask whether a worker has legal documentation.

"Every person has an opportunity to work," said Hilary Stern, a former adult-education teacher who spent a couple of years in Nicaragua after the Sandinistas assumed power, and who now runs CASA Latina. Her organization also provides classes in literacy and English as a second language.

In Seattle, there is arguably no better symbol of "immigrant worker" than the Worker Center, which is why a coalition of immigrant, labor and social-service groups opted to rally there yesterday.

"It's time to restore integrity and fairness to our immigration system," said Pramila Jayapal, director of Hate Free Zone Washington and co-chair of the Seattle Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride coalition.

The coalition was launched with last fall's cross-country bus ride, modeled after the civil-rights Freedom Rides of the 1960s.

The bus rides added momentum to the immigration debate, which stalled briefly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks but which now appears to be gaining ground as a legislative priority for both political parties.

The thorniest and most sensitive issue of the debate: What to do with an estimated 8 million to 11 million illegal immigrants nationwide?

Bush's temporary-worker proposal, announced in January, would legalize some illegal immigrant workers, but for no more than six years. Workers would not be granted citizenship.

Bush's proposal has the support of Mexican President Vicente Fox, but some U.S. immigration-reform groups don't like it.

The Center for Immigration Studies, which favors lower levels of immigration, released a report yesterday that showed the average annual earnings of native-born men between 1980 and 2000 decreased by an estimated $1,700 or 4 percent as the number of immigrant workers rose. Those hardest hit: native-born black and Hispanics, according to the report by George J. Borjas, an economics and social-policy professor at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

According to Borjas, Bush's guestworker program, which would open the door to as many as 10 million new foreign-born workers, would surely have an adverse effect on native workers.

Criticism of the Democrats' proposed legislation arrived through various news releases from others advocating stricter immigration laws.

"This is the 'No Illegal Alien Left Behind' bill," said Dan Stein, executive director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. "Nobody who has violated our immigration laws will be turned away. Even criminals and terrorists will be given sufficient opportunity to appeal the denials of their applications."

Florangela Davila: 206-464-2916 or fdavila@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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