With the House gearing up for a vote on immigration reform, groups from many walks of life, including business and religious entities, are making their voices heard.
On Monday, U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, met with evangelical church and area business leaders in his Texas district to hear them declare their support for legislation that would reform the nation's immigration laws. After the Belton, Texas meeting, Rep. Carter, who spoke with members of the media, noted that while there were "some problems to work out" there were still some possible solutions to the immigration issue.
Overall, Rep. Carter called the meeting "encouraging."
"Their support for the rule of law, understanding it must be followed with compassion, gives me hope that we can fix our nation's broken immigration system. I am working for a system that will strengthen the border, respect the rule of law, implement E-verify, enhance the high-tech workforce and treat the undocumented compassionately," he said in a statement to Latinos Post.
Rep. Carter, part of a bipartisan House group coming up with their own proposal counter to the Senate "Gang of Eight" immigration deal--which offers a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.--said his group was "standing in the wings waiting to go forward" with their proposal should the need for an alternative immigration bill arise.
The congressman also said the current Senate immigation proposal's prospects were grim for passing in the Republican-controlled House, which he has likened to as "amnesty" in the past.
"The senate bill will not pass the house, so if they're looking for a comprehensive bill, we're looking at a comprehensive bill that will be effective," Rep. Carter said.
In addition, Rep. Carter also talked about how, as part of the reforms, undocumented immigrants would have to admit that they came to the U.S. without proper authorization.
"We don't want to reward bad behavior," Carter told reporters. "They are going to have to admit that they've come here illegally."
At the meeting, business and religious leaders spoke about the need for Congress to pass immigration reform.
Wendy Reilly, the state director of Government Affairs for technology association TechAmerica, said, "We urge Congress to enact legislation that will bring meaningful reforms. Our companies must be able to hire the best and brightest talent from around the world."
"As evangelical Christians we stand for the dignity of the people and call for an immigration solution that will serve America, Texas and the church overall," said Dr. Rick Hertless, the executive pastor for the Walk Worthy Baptist Church.
While Rep. Carter enjoyed a fruitful meeting, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., had a tougher time when he was bombarded by questions Monday by more than three dozen immigration reform advocates during a town hall meeting in Verona, Va.
According to The Hill.com, Rep. Goodlatte, who favors a piecemeal approach of step-by-step legislation to address immigration reform, faced some prodding questions at the meeting, particularly over his desire to enact several enforcement mandates
One person in attendance, 22-year-old Latino Jossimar Diaz-Castro, asked Rep. Goodlatte why, in spite of the border security requirements already included in it, he would not take up the Senate proposal on immigration reform.
"I am troubled by your proclamation that border security will not be dealt with before documentation is given to immigrants," said Diaz-Castro.
However, Rep. Goodlatte defended his stance. He argued that granting undocumented immigrants legal status before securing the border would be "repeating the mistake of 1986," said the legislator, referencing the Immigration Reform and Control Act signed by President Reagan that legalized millions of undocumented immigrants at the time, and is routinely criticized for its flaws in employer accountability and overall enforcement of immigration law.
"We've had a far greater problem with illegal immigration because we've had more people come in because we haven't enforced the laws that are already on the books," Goodlatte said.
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