Amnesty a tougher sale this go round

Washington Times:

It's not often a politician admits to making a mistake, but that's exactly what Sen. Charles E. Grassley says he did when he voted for the 1986 amnesty for illegal aliens.

Twenty-one years later he has become one of the most steadfast opponents of amnesty and the strongest critic of the federal government's ability to handle a new legalization program.

"I was fooled once, and history has taught me a valuable lesson. Amnesties just don't work," the Iowa Republican wrote in a letter to his colleagues yesterday, telling them he is fulfilling a "duty to warn you of the mistakes" of passing yet another bill that would put illegal aliens on the path to citizenship — this time for an estimated 12 million to 20 million, far more than the 3 million from 1986.

This time around he has also become one of the new Senate bill's most dangerous foes, offering an amendment that threatens to splinter the fragile "grand bargain" underlying the bill. His proposal would remove some of the obligations of businesses to check the legal status of their workers, and limit immigration authorities' ability to obtain information from other government agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service.

That amendment, which passed in a similar form during last year's debate, prompted a worried letter from the Bush administration vigorously opposing it. But with supporters ranging from businesses to the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Council of La Raza and the Service Employees International Union, it will be difficult to oppose.

The bill, written in secret by a small group of senators and the Bush administration, will return to the Senate floor next week, after collapsing two weeks ago as both Democrats and Republicans demanded more time to pass amendments.

Mr. Grassley's amendment is just one of approximately two dozen amendments the Senate is expected to vote on, and several others could also cause the deal problems: A proposal to walk back from the provisions of the Real ID Act, which passed two years ago and set a federal standard for state-issued identification, which the Bush administration says are needed for the bill to work; an amendment to require illegal aliens to show roots to be eligible for the path to citizenship; and an outright ban on illegal aliens from ever obtaining a path to citizenship, though they would still be eligible for temporary legal status.

Mr. Grassley said he thought he had agreed with the secret negotiators to protect IRS data. But when the bill was introduced, his provisions were gone.

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I think one of the problems now is that IRS data is protecting the law breakers. ICE is denied access to data on companies whose employees are filing false Social Security numbers. With that data it would be easier to go after employers who are hiring illegals. There is no good reason to keep bogus Social Security numbers confidential especially from immigration enforcement authorities. His concerns about the amnesty portions are valid. While the "grand compromise" attempts to build in consequences for coming here illegally, they are illusory for those who do not seek citizenship.