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Ley Chambliss aumentaría trabajo para ilegales / Chambliss bill would expand immigrant jobs |
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Wednesday, 14 December 2005 |
ATLANTA. El senador por Georgia, Saxby Chambliss, informó que va a introducir una legislación federal que mejorará las oportunidades de empleo para los inmigrantes ilegales, ya que los autorizaría a trabajar en los EE.UU. hasta un máximo de dos años.
En un esfuerzo para ampliar el apoyo a este propuesta en el congreso, Chambliss también propone autorizar a las fuerzas policiales locales a aplicar las leyes de inmigración y detener inmigrantes ilegales, con la condición de que el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional los traslade a su custodia en las siguientes 72 horas.
Aunque negó que su propuesta sea una “ley de amnistía”, garantizaría una amnistía a aquellos trabajadores y empleadores a los que les apliquen las provisiones contempladas en la propuesta.
La Ley Chambliss aplicaría a trabajos relacionados a la agricultura, tales como siembra, procesamiento de comida y mantenimiento de áreas verdes, pero excluye a la construcción, otra industria que contrata un gran número de indocumentados.
“Espero que haya un debate acerca de la ampliación del uso por trabajos que no sean exclusivamente de la agricultura, realmente necesitamos que se dé ese debate”, dijo Chambliss en una rueda de prensa.
La Ley Chambliss ampliaría las provisiones del programa federal H2A, que permite a los inmigrantes venir a los EE.UU. a trabajar en la agricultura.
“Tenemos cientos de granjeros en el país que utilizan las bondades del H2A”, dijo Chambliss. “Vamos a permitir que los granjeros sigan utilizando al H2A pero agrandando la definición de las industrias que pueden utilizarla”, añadió.
Chambliss quiere incluir en este programa federal de empleo (H2A) a inmigrantes que trabajen en las industrias de procesamiento de comida, ganadería, mantenimiento de áreas verdes y pesca. Permitiría a los interesados aplicar para esta certificación H2A desde sus países de origen, y podrían trabajar en EE.UU. por un período de 11 meses en vez de 10, como es actualmente.
Los empleadores que actualmente tienen a inmigrantes ilegales en su nómina podrían aplicar por tarjetas azules, que les permitiría a esos trabajadores permanecer en el país por dos años.
Chambliss indica que su propuesta incluye multas para empleadores que continúen contratando ilegales.
“Es importante que aquellos que contraten ilegales sean castigados con multas significativas”, dijo Chambliss. “Si la gente sabe que no encontrarán empleo, dejarán de venir”.
La Ley Chambliss daría facultad a la policía local, que haya recibido entrenamiento federal, de detener inmigrantes ilegales. Pudieran acudir a sitios donde se reúnen los jornaleros y arrestarlos. El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional deberá llevarse los detenidos antes de 72 horas o deberá pagar a la autoridad local los gastos de arresto y detención.
English---
ATLANTA. Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss said he will introduce federal legislation that will provide more opportunities for undocumented immigrants to work in the United States for a period of up to two years.
In an effort to broaden congressional support for his bill, Chambliss is also proposing that local law enforcement officials be authorized to enforce federal immigration laws and round up illegal aliens – with the Department of Homeland Security required to pick up these immigrants within 72 hours.
Although Chambliss denied that his proposed legislation was an “amnesty bill,” it would amount to amnesty for workers and their employers who abide by the bill’s provisions.
The Chambliss bill would apply to agriculture-related work like harvesting, food processing, and landscaping but not to construction, another industry that hires a large number of undocumented immigrants.
“I fully expect that there’s going to be a debate on the broader issue [of non-agricultural jobs], and we need to have that debate,” Chambliss said during a conference call with reporters.
Chambliss’ bill would broaden the provisions of the federal H2A workforce program that allows immigrants to come to the U.S. to work in agriculture-related jobs.
“We have hundreds of farmers in the country that utilize H2A,” Chambliss said. “We will continue to allow farmers to utilize the program, but we will broaden the definition of what types of industries can use it.”
Chambliss wants to expand the federal program to include immigrants who work in the food processing, livestock, landscaping, and fishing industries.
His bill would allow persons to apply in their native country for H2A certification that would allow them to work in the U.S. for 11 months at a time instead of the current period of 10 months.
American employers who currently have undocumented immigrants working for them would be allowed to apply for blue cards that would allow these workers to stay in the country for a two-year period.
“If Homeland Security approves the application, that individual can stay in the country up to two years to continue working in agriculture – at such time he’s got to leave the country to go back to wherever he came from,” Chambliss said.
Chambliss said his bill includes penalties for employers who continue to hire undocumented immigrants.
“We think its important to make sure that those employers who do hire illegals have some sanctions that are meaningful,” Chambliss said. “If people know they won’t have a job, they won’t come here.”
The Chambliss bill would allow local law officers who have received federal training to arrest undocumented immigrants. Local police would be able to go to areas where aliens congregate to find day labor and make arrests, Chambliss said. The Department of Homeland Security would be required to take custody of the immigrants within 72 hours and reimburse local governments for the costs of arresting and detaining them.
The bill also would authorize Homeland Security to construct up to 30 additional points of entry along the border, construct 20 new detention facilities for illegal immigrants, and hire at least 250 additional border patrol officers each year for the next five years.
“If we can’t stop the inflow of illegal immigrants into our country, we’re not going to be able to change our laws in any positive way whatsoever,” Chambliss said.
Chambliss, a Republican, is proposing an immigrant workforce bill that will be controversial among other Republicans who want to stop all illegal immigration and deport aliens back to their country of origin. Republicans are expected to make illegal immigration a major issue in next year's elections.
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