Legislative negotiations concerning the reform of the immigration system within the United States encountered some troublesome setbacks as a direct result of the recent bombings in Boston, Massachusetts. During a senatorial hearing on Friday, April 19th, the leading Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee made incendiary remarks regarding the nature of an immigration debate that is taking place in the wake of a violent tragedy. Senator Charles E. Grassley attempted to derail the conversation by demanding a heightened focus on perceived legal loopholes in the legislation. He stated the debate was fundamentally shifted by the act of terrorism that was committed.
The hearing was scheduled before the Senate panel before the incident occurred in Boston. It was originally meant to specifically tackle the language of a comprehensive bill that, if passed, would completely overhaul the process that immigrants face when they enter the country. Grassley directly admits in his claim that the immigrant status of the perpetrators is unknown, yet he firmly believes they exploited a flaw in the country’s current immigration laws.
Two suspects have been formally identified by federal authorities. The two men that are wanted in connection to the detonation are brothers who migrated to the country from Chechnya in 2003. This occurred before either of them was at the age of adulthood, and both of them arrived in the United States as derivative recipients of their father’s asylum claim. In his remarks, the Republican senator specifically targets the asylum program as an area that needs continued strengthening to be able to vigilantly filter out unwanted individuals. He claims the system has started undergoing this transformation already.
As the first formal negotiation, it was a tumultuous start for this ambitious legislation. While Grassley claims he is not attempting to manipulate current events for a political advantage, the senator has received reprimands from both sides of the aisle. Senator Patrick J. Leahy denounced the notion that the debate should be altered in any way. Leahy is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and he is the senior representative from Vermont. The office of Senator Marco Rubio, a fellow Republican from Florida, quickly dismissed the idea that negotiations would be affected.
The bill has received staunch advocacy from President Barack Obama. It contains 844 pages of proposed changes for national immigration laws. The issues confronted by the legislation prominently include modifying the rules for deportation, heightening border security and instilling an equalized economic playing field. Proponents of the bill originally hoped to have it signed into law within six weeks; however, Grassley’s recent statement indicates the bill will face an intense legislative battle.
With the conditions and motivations of the fatal attacks in Boston still undetermined, the inference of a connection between this legislation and the attack is factually unfounded. Grassley’s statements are merely an attempt to dissuade public opinion from mounting in favor of the issue. He is accomplishing this by using rhetoric to attach the villainous association of a national security threat to the legislation.
Derek is currently blogging for GTL DNA, a site that provides a DNA test for immigration.
Image Credit: hahatango
