February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
And Crowley made it clear that he was thinking first and foremost of the undocumented Irish who stand to gain a chance of legalization if the bill gets passed into law in anything like its current form.
“As the son of Irish immigrants I feel it is time to bring the population of unadjusted immigrants out of the shadows,” the Queens, NY Democrat said in a joint statement with upstate Republican James Walsh, chairman of the congressional Friends of Ireland.
The statement from Crowley and Walsh coincided with the arrival in the U.S. of an-all party delegation of Irish parliamentarians that is here to meet with Irish immigrant advocates and to lobby sympathetic politicians on behalf of thousands of undocumented Irish immigrants across the country.
“We are talking about law abiding people who are paying taxes, working hard and making a contribution everyday to society.
While the economy of Ireland and the North is thriving, many Irish still remain in the shadows in the United States with unadjusted status. Their inability to get legal employment, travel back to Ireland to see their family and secure safe and affordable housing while in the united States places tremendous stress on them,” Crowley said.
Rep. Walsh said that the need for immigration reform had never been more apparent.
“Last year, President Bush introduced sweeping immigration proposals and brought the issue into the forefront,” Walsh said.
The bill introduced in the Senate by McCain and Kennedy “addresses these concerns,” he added.
Walsh was referring to the “Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act of 2005,” or S.1033. the bill is currently before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Observers agree that the next move in what will be a vigorous debate on Capitol Hill is largely dependent on how the White House reacts and what firm proposals come from President Bush.
Among other things, the Senate bill and its house companion offer an earned legalization process for the undocumented, an aspect of the bill that is certain to attract the strongest criticism, and the most eager response from the undocumented, Irish included.
The proposal allows those undocumented on the date of the bill’s introduction to register for a temporary visa (H-5B) that would be valid for six years.
Applicants would have to show work history, a “clean criminal record,” and convince immigration authorities they were not a security problem in order to be eligible for a temporary visa.
Upon receipt of the visa, the undocumented individual would receive work and travel authorization. Their spouses and children would also be eligible for the same visa.
“In order to qualify for permanent status, individuals would have to meet a future work requirement, clear additional security/background checks, pay substantial fines and application fees [$2000 or more per adult] as well as back taxes, and meet English/civics requirements,” the bill states.
The inability to travel back to Ireland for even such emergencies as family funerals has raised the profile of the undocumented among Irish politicians, hence the visit by the all-party delegation this week.