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Breakdown of the Reid-Schumer-Menendez Immigration Reform Proposal

Posted April 30, 2010 by Ted Hesson

Friday, April 30—Yesterday, three Democratic senators unveiled their framework for comprehensive immigration reform, deciding to push forward with the sweeping legislation before the 2010 midterm congressional elections.

The proposal—drafted by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, and Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey—focuses on first achieving border security, and then introducing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Compared with an earlier blueprint for reform that was assembled by Schumer and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), this proposal includes some new provisions that may please immigration reform advocates. Under the plan, same-sex couples would receive full immigration benefits, and backlogs for immigrants waiting to be reunited with family members would be eliminated in eight years.

Overall, however, the proposal makes border security and employment eligibility top priorities—a strategy sure to raise concerns among some reform proponents. The outline calls for the U.S. to strengthen border security before introducing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, but doesn’t offer an estimate for how long it might take to strengthen the border adequately.

According to the proposal, a new Social Security card will be used to determine employment eligibility through an electronic verification system.

The announcement comes less than a week after Arizona approved a draconian state immigration law that will inevitably lead to widespread racial and ethnic profiling. For more on that bill, click here.

The national outrage over the Arizona bill invariably influenced the timing of the Reid-Schumer-Menendez proposal, as blogger Marisa Treviño of Latina Lista pointed out on April 29:

In speculating over the debut of this bill, at this time, it’s pretty clear on page four what triggered this rapid response from Democratic Senate leaders:

“Because the federal government will have fulfilled its obligation to secure America’s borders, states and municipalities will be prohibited from enacting their own rules and penalties relating to immigration, which could undermine federal policies.”

This bill definitely illustrates that Washington heard the outrage levied against Arizona for passing SB1070 and the threats and demands from immigrant advocacy and Latino groups across the country.

For a PDF of the blueprint, click here.

Our blogger Patrick Young, Esq., has done an excellent job distilling the basic principles of the proposal in a series of blog posts.

Here’s an index of those posts:

—Outline of Schumer Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill Posted Online

—Understanding Schumer’s Legalization Proposal

—How the Schumer Proposal Treats LGBT Families

—Schumer Proposal and Family-Based Immigration

—Schumer’s Proposal for a New Social Security Card

—Schumer Proposes New Mandatory Electronic Employment Verification


Image courtesy of annnie via Flickr.

Tags : blueprint, immigration reform, menendez, reid, schumer

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