Under the new immigration bill, Senate Bill 744, American citizens and legal immigrants could get prison time for certain offenses while illegals get a waiver. Here are some examples.

Falsely representing or knowingly using a Social Security number obtained with false information could get a citizen punishable by up to five years under 42 U.S. Code 408(a)(7)(A), (b). Registered Provisional Immigrants (illegal immigrants), on the other hand, would be eligible for crime to be waived.

Willful failure to pay tax, file a return, keep required records or supply required information could mean imprisonment up to one year or a fine up to $25,000 (or both) under 26 U.S.Code 7203 for American citizens. Registered provisional immigrants (illegal immigrants), on the other hand, the crime would be eligible for waiver.

Document fraud to prove eligibility for employment is a crime that could be waived for RPIs. However, for legal citizens crime is a felony punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment under 18 U.S. Code 1546(a).

Also, Senate Bill 744:

• Does not secure the border.

• Does not require illegal immigrants to pay back taxes.

• Does not add any fencing or even require the completion of fencing mandated in existing laws.

• Does not prevent criminals from getting amnesty.

• Does not require illegal immigrants to learn English before amnesty.

By the time this opinion makes it into the paper, these could change. But you get the idea.

 

Tom Jacobson

Albert Lea