White House immigration bill offers path to residency
Alan Gomez, USA TODAY6:28p.m. EST February 16, 2013
The legislation is being developed as members in both chambers of Congress are drafting their own immigration bills.

(Photo: Mel Evans, AP)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
An administration official said the plan is being distributed to agencies
Plan calls for more security funding and status checks
Illegal immigrants would apply for “Lawful Prospective Immigrant” visa
WASHINGTON — A draft of a White House immigration proposal obtained by USA TODAY would allow illegal immigrants to become legal permanent residents within eight years.

The plan also would provide for more security funding and require business owners to check the immigration status of new hires within four years. In addition, the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants could apply for a newly created “Lawful Prospective Immigrant” visa, under the bill being written by the White House.

The draft was obtained from an Obama administration official who said it was being distributed to various agencies. The official requested anonymity because he was not authorized to release the proposal publicly.

The bill is being developed as members in both chambers of Congress are drafting their own immigration bills. Last month, four Republican senators joined with four Democratic senators to announce their agreement on the general outlines of an immigration plan. In the House, a bipartisan group of representatives has been negotiating an immigration proposal for years and are writing their own bill.

In his first term, Obama often deferred to Congress on drafting and advancing major legislation, including the Affordable Care Act. He has openly supported the efforts in Congress to move immigration legislation, and just this week met with Democratic senators to discuss their proposals.

But two weeks ago in Las Vegas, while outlining his immigration plans, Obama made clear that he would not wait too long for Congress to get moving.

“If Congress is unable to move forward in a timely fashion, I will send up a bill based on my proposal and insist that they vote on it right away,” he said.

White House spokesman Clark Stevens said Saturday that the administration continues to support the bipartisan efforts ongoing in Congress.

“The president has made clear the principles upon which he believes any common-sense immigration reform effort should be based,” Stevens said. “We continue to work in support of a bipartisan effort, and while the president has made clear he will move forward if Congress fails to act, progress continues to be made and the administration has not prepared a final bill to submit.”

According to the White House draft, people would need to pass a criminal background check, submit biometric information and pay fees to qualify for the new visa. If approved, they would be allowed to legally reside in the U.S., work and leave the country for short periods of time.

Illegal immigrants would be disqualified from the program if they were convicted of a crime that led to a prison term of at least one year, three or more different crimes that resulted in a total of 90 days in jail, or if they committed any offense abroad that “if committed in the United States would render the alien inadmissible or removable from the United States.”

People currently in federal custody or facing deportation proceedings also could be allowed to apply for the Lawful Prospective Immigrant visa. Application forms and instructions would be provided in “the most common languages spoken by persons in the United States,” but the application and all supporting evidence submitted to the federal government would have to be in English.

They would also be given a new identification card to show as proof of their legal status in the country.

The immigrants could then apply for legal permanent residence, commonly known as a green card, within eight years if they learn English and “the history and government of the United States” and pay back taxes. That would then clear the path for them to apply for U.S. citizenship.

To combat fraud, the draft proposes a new Social Security card be developed that is “fraud-resistant, tamper-resistant and wear-resistant.” The Social Security Administration would be required to issue the new cards within two years.

A major requirement for many Republicans is enhanced border security. The bill calls for an unspecified increase in the Border Patrol, allows the Department of Homeland Security to expand technological improvements along the border and adds 140 new immigration judges to process the heavy flow of people who violate immigration laws.

It also orders U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to study whether a land-border crossing fee should be implemented to help offset border security costs. The draft also proposes raising many inspection fees that border-crossers already pay.

The draft bill proposes a new plan to allow Homeland Security to “accept donations” from citizens, businesses and local and state governments to improve ports of entry and security features along the border. And it would require CBP to begin collecting statistics on deaths along the border and report them quarterly.

The draft also expands the E-Verify program that checks the immigration status of people seeking new jobs. Businesses with more than 1,000 employees must begin using the system within two years, businesses with more than 250 employees within three years and all businesses within four years.

Homeland Security, working with the U.S. departments of Labor and Agriculture, the attorney general and other agencies, would engage in a $40 million-a-year program to educate business owners and workers about the program.

Homeland Security also would be required to submit a report within 18 months showing how the worker verification system is working, and specifically explain how it is affecting the nation’s agriculture industry, which relies heavily on illegal immigrant workers.

The draft obtained by USA TODAY does not include sections that would alter the nation’s legal immigration system to adjust the future flow of legal immigrants, which is expected to be a critical component of any immigration overhaul.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ALAN GOMEZ

Alan Gomez is an immigration reporter at USA Today. He has covered Florida, Congress, hurricanes, the Tea Party, Iraq, Afghanistan, Gitmo, cops, courts, high school football and suicide squirrels.
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MANDEVILLE, Manchester — The mother of slain teenager Martha Byrowe yesterday strongly denied that she neglected her child and was adamant that the 16-year-old student of Cross Keys High School was not living with the man accused of killing her. Felicia Bell was charged late Friday with two counts of breaches of the Child Care and Protection Act: Failure to report a child in need of care and protection and failure to exercise proper care and guidance to a child. Byrowe’s body was reportedly found with stab wounds to her head on Ash Wednesday, at the home which she allegedly shared with a 33-year-old man popularly known as ‘Bruce’ and identified by police as Sebastion Salmon in Top Albion, Manchester. However, Bell told the Sunday Observer that Salmon, who was apprehended by the police yesterday, was a close friend whom she had known for many years. She said that although it was by coincidence that they ended up being neighbours when she moved from Cross Keys District to Top Albion about a year ago, Salmon and her family were close in the past. Years ago, Bell said, when she was a student of May Pen

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http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/-I-am-innocent–Mom-denies-neglect-charge_13657012

# 1. Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker’s visit to a Morningside Heights gourmet deli came with a side order of stop and frisk. The “Bird” star was accused of shoplifting and patted down Friday around lunchtime by an overzealous employee at the Milano Market, according to Whitaker’s publicist. The encounter was confirmed by a store employee. The humiliating episode came as Whitaker, who won the Academy Award for his 2006 portrayal of Idi Ami, was walking out. The suspicious worker stopped Whitaker, charging that he stole something from the store shelves. “It was around lunchtime and the store was packed,” said a Milano employee who refused to give his name. “We were like 50 people deep. The person walked in and out really quickly so our person just made a mistake. The employee apologized immediately. It was an honest mistake. I’ve been here 14 years and nothing like this has ever happened.” Many stars frequent the Columbia University-area gourmet deli specializing in Italian fare. Tobey McGuire and Sarah Jessica Parker have been spotted at the upscale grocery. Still, Whittaker’s representative said the star was troubled by the incident. “This was an upsetting incident given the fact that Forest did nothing more than walk into the deli,” said his publicist, Jennifer Plante. “What is most unfortunate about this situation is the inappropriate way store employees are treating patrons of their establishment.” Whitaker, who lives in California, was in New York working on a project this week. His assistant said the actor, whose credits include “The Crying Game” and “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai,” was on the set and unavailable to discuss the incident. According to Plante, the 51-year-old Whitaker opted not to call the cops about the allegation — in part because the worker was afraid of getting fired.
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# 2. An Idaho man slapped a 19-month-old crying toddler during a flight to Atlanta and told his mother to “shut that n—-r baby up,” according to court papers. Joe Hundley, 60, was charged with federal assault and could face up to one year in prison, according to an FBI affidavit. Hundley, president of Unitech Composites and Structures, an aircraft parts manufacturer in Idaho, apparently could not deal with the baby’s whimpers as a Delta Airlines flight descended in Atlanta Feb. 8, reported The Smoking Gun. Jessica Bennett, 33, the boy’s mother, said they boarded the plane in her home city of Minneapolis. She said Hundley “reeked of alcohol,” was “stumbling around wasted” and drank multiple double vodkas during the flight. She suspects he was drunk before boarding the airplane. Hundley claimed he merely asked Bennett to silence the child and drank a single alcoholic beverage. In a statement provided to KARE-TV, Bennett said that her son is now apprehensive of strangers and that the family has a lot of questions how Hundley could get so out of control. She also said the situation has caused emotional trauma to the entire family. Hundley plans to plead not guilty to the assault charge, his lawyer said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/forest-whitaker-stopped-frisked-upper-east-side-deli-article-1.1266100

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Naivasha man DEFILES his step DAUGHTER while SON watches

Saturday 16th February 2013 – A 40 year old man is set to spend his entire life in jail after he was found by Naivasha Magistrate Elector Rainny guilty of raping his 14 year old step daughter.

Stephen Gitau Kimani is said to have committed the inhuman act on 19th of August 2012 The court heard that the accused had arrived from a local pub where he had been drinking and found his step daughter sleeping.

It was further explained that the girl accidentally knocked his bottle of beer spilling its contents on the ground. Angered by the loss she had caused him, the dad tore her clothes and raped her while her younger brother was watching.

The girl with the help of the neighbors was taken to Naivasha District Hospital where it was proved that she had been defiled.