Senators vote amnesty for convicted felon deporteees

Houston Chronicle:

The Senate on Wednesday narrowly rebuffed an effort by Texas Sen. John Cornyn to deny legalization to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants previously ordered deported from the United States.

In a day of repeated challenges from liberals and conservatives, the bipartisan coalition that assembled the fragile immigration bill repelled a series of potential deal-killer amendments.

Chief among them was Cornyn's bid to deny legalization to 635,000 people who ignored deportation orders or returned to the United States after being deported — both felonies.

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Cornyn, a Republican who insisted his amendment would strengthen the bill, took aim at what he referred to as its "No Felon Left Behind" aspects.

"While we've excluded many categories of felons, we have for some reason left this big gaping hole when it comes to those who have shown nothing but contempt for our laws," he said.

Democrats siphoned support from Cornyn's amendment, defeated on a 51-46 vote, by offering a rival version, which passed 66-32. Like Cornyn's, it would deny legalization to gang members, sex offenders and felony drunken drivers — but would forgive people who had been ordered deported.

Democrats insisted Cornyn's amendment could keep most illegal immigrants from gaining legalization, because they had previously used fake IDs, and charged it was aimed at derailing the immigration bill.

"It is a Trojan horse," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "Nothing short of an attempt to kill the whole bill in the guise of tough enforcement."

In a late-night vote, the Senate unanimously approved an amendment by Texas GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to ensure no Social Security credits could be earned for the time a person worked in illegal status.

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How did Schumer leave out his dagger to the heart analogy in his opposition to the amendment?

The Washington Times is more blunt in its analysis of the vote.

The Senate voted yesterday to grant amnesty to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens who have already been caught and ordered deported but are defying a court order, preserving their path to citizenship as part of the immigration bill.
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"We are going to continue to be viewed as non-serious about workability, about enforcement, about restoring respect for the rule of law, unless we vote to exclude those who show nothing but defiance for our laws," the Texas Republican said.
But Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat, said they were only guilty of "common, garden-variety immigration offenses" that should not disqualify them.
"Our employers beg them to come back and our broken borders make that possible," he said.
Other Democrats, including Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Democrat, said Mr. Cornyn's amendment would remove due process rights for illegal aliens. But Republicans said those being affected are illegal aliens who are already in the country without authorization, and in the case of absconders have even had their day in court.
"Nobody has a constitutional legal right to demand entry into the United States," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican. "It amazes me the lack of understanding and comprehension of what it's all about."
Mr. Cornyn's amendment was defeated 51-46, with 10 Republicans joining most Democrats and the chamber's two independents in voting to preserve the path to citizenship for absconders.
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How ridiculous is the argument that people whose crimes have already been adjudicated and who have absconded would be denied due process? This vote is just more evidence that there remains a bipartisan lack of seriousness about enforcing immigration laws.