Text 4731, 115 rader
Skriven 2007-06-05 23:34:36 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0706057) for Tue, 2007 Jun 5
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Immigration Fact Check: Responding to Key Myths
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For Immediate Release June 5, 2007

Immigration Fact Check: Responding to Key Myths

ÿÿWhite House News

ÿÿÿÿÿ In Focus: Immigration

1. MYTH: Once an individual is granted a Z visa, his or her family outside
the country will be eligible for Z visas including his or her spouse,
children, spouse's children, parents and spouse's parents.
  þ FACT: Z visa eligibility is limited to the finite population of current
    aliens who were already in the United States illegally as of January 1,
    2007.No one outside the U.S. can petition for a Z visa _ including
    family members of Z visa workers.
  þ FACT: Only green card holders and U.S. citizens may petition to bring
    family members to the U.S. It will take at least 8 years for the first
    Z visa recipient to receive a green card, and it will take at least 13
    years for the first Z visa recipient to become a citizen.
  þ FACT: Z visa holders who eventually receive green cards and become
    citizens will be subject to the tighter limits on family immigration
    that the bill imposes. The bill limits future family-based visas to the
    spouses and minor children of U.S citizens and green card holders, plus
    a smaller number of parents of U.S. citizens. It eliminates set-asides
    for siblings and adult children of U.S. citizens.
2. MYTH: Illegal immigrants may stay in probationary status for years
without having to apply or meet requirements for a Z visa.
  þ FACT: Illegal immigrants may not obtain probationary status without
    applying for the Z visa, which requires coming out of the shadows and
    passing a background check.
  þ FACT: Probationary status is valid only while a Z visa application is
    pending _ it may be revoked at any time if the applicant is found
    ineligible for the Z visa, fails to maintain a clean record, or fails
    the background check required for obtaining a Z visa.
  þ FACT: If a worker is deemed eligible for a Z visa, probationary status
    terminates, and the worker must transition to a Z visa or leave the
    country. Transitioning to Z status will require the worker to pay a
    $1,000 fine for head of household and $500 per dependent; up to $1,500
    in processing fees per applicant, including heads of household and
    dependents; and a $500 state impact assistance fee.
  þ FACT: To remain in the United States, the worker is subject to updated
    background checks on criminal and security history and must stay
    employed, maintain a clean record, and meet accelerated English and
    civics requirements by set deadlines. In addition, Z visa holders must
    pay processing fees of up to $1,500 every four years in order to renew
    the visa. Z visa holders are not entitled to welfare, Food Stamps, SSI,
    or non-emergency Medicaid.

3. MYTH: Immigration and Customs Enforcement has scaled back penalties and
arrests in worksite enforcement cases.
  þ FACT: In a much more aggressive approach to cracking down on employers
    who hire illegal aliens, ICE has replaced the old system of
    administrative hearings and fines with a much tougher combination of
    criminal prosecutions and asset forfeitures.
  þ FACT: Arrests for criminal violations brought in worksite enforcement
    actions _ the most effective means of enforcement and best measure of
    ICE's new approach _ have increased significantly from 24 in FY 1999 to
    a record 716 in FY 2006. There have been 588 criminal arrests since the
    beginning of FY 2007
  þ FACT: During the first half of FY 2007, ICE obtained criminal fines,
    restitutions, and civil judgments in worksite enforcement
    investigations against egregious violators in excess of $29 million.
  þ FACT: A 2005 program called "Operation Rollback" assessed $15,000,000
    in civil fines, an amount greater than the sum of administrative fines
    collected in the previous eight years combined and the largest worksite
    enforcement penalty in US history.
  þ FACT: ICE's interior enforcement strategy targets not only employers of
    illegal aliens and immigration violators inside this country but also
    the many criminal networks that support these activities, including
    human smuggling and trafficking organizations and document or benefit
    fraud organizations.
4. MYTH: The bill would permit illegal immigrants who have committed
violent crimes to remain in the country.
  þ FACT: Applicants convicted of any of a wide range of crimes will not be
    permitted in the Z visa program. The list of crimes that disqualify
    applicants extends into the thousands and includes:
      þ Any felony
      þ Any three misdemeanors
      þ Any serious criminal offense
      þ Violations of any law relating to a controlled substance
  þ FACT: If a Z visa applicant is rejected because of criminal conduct,
    the government can immediately place the alien in removal proceedings.
  þ FACT: Any Z visa application that is rejected because of criminal
    conduct is no longer subject to confidentiality restrictions. DHS has
    authority to share the information with law enforcement officials,
    making it easier to identify and deport criminal aliens.

5. MYTH: The bill ignores the importance of assimilation.
  þ FACT: An entire subtitle is dedicated to assimilation and outlines
    several new and expanded assimilation programs, including:
      þ Expanding the mission of the DHS Office of Citizenship to include
        civic integration;
      þ Authorizing $100 million for the office to carry out its new,
        broader mission;
      þ Providing grants to States and localities for integration programs;
        and
      þ Directing the Education Department to develop a new English
        learning program to be made available free over the Internet.
  þ FACT: The bill also declares that English is the language of the United
    States and directs the United States government to preserve and enhance
    it.
  þ FACT: Individuals seeking to maintain their Z status must meet
    accelerated English requirements.

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