Senate Panel OKs Amnesty for Illegals, Penalties for Hiring
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12 to 4 today for a bill to curb the nation’s burgeoning illegal immigration problem by imposing stiff penalties against employers while guaranteeing amnesty to many illegal aliens.
The guaranteed amnesty provision, to take place within three years of enactment, was a major change accepted by chief sponsor Alan K. Simpson (R-Wyo.). His original language included no automatic legalization.
The bill will move to the Senate floor with stiff civil fines and, under a new committee amendment, criminal penalties against employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens.
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