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TÁNAISTE EAMON GILMORE has this evening welcomed the publication of a draft law to reform the US immigration system which he said would “help to end the great hardship and uncertainty” faced by undocumented Irish living in the States.
He was responding to the publication of a bill by a bipartisan group of US senators – the so-called ‘Gang of Eight’ – which provides a path to citizenship for an estimated 11.5 million people who live in the US illegally including thousands of Irish people.
“This Bill is a very positive development which, if adopted, would help to end the great hardship and uncertainty faced by undocumented Irish in the US and their families here in Ireland,” Gilmore said this evening.
The bill would give legal temporary status to immigrants who arrived without documentation before 31 December 2011 to allow them to work and travel without fear of deportation as long as they have not committed any federal crimes or three misdemeanours, pay a $500 fine and back taxes.
It also provides a lengthy 10-year path to obtain permanent resident status as long as the person lives continuously in the US, pay all the taxes they owe, have regular work and demonstrate a knowledge of civics and English. Three years after that they could apply for US citizenship.
Gilmore continued: “The inclusion of a new provision to allow several thousand Irish citizens to legally avail of employment opportunities in the US every year is also particularly welcome.”
The bill also commits to strengthening America’s porous 1,800-mile border with Mexico by allocating $4.5 billion that would be dedicated to building “double-layer fencing” in some spots and using unmanned drones in some border areas.
The bill is now likely to be the subject of considerable debate in the US with President Barack Obama having made comprehensive immigration reform a key focus of his second term and Republicans seeking to broaden their appeal among the States’ increasing number of minorities.
Gilmore added: “I am conscious that the overall issues involved are complex and sensitive ones within the US political system and that much further debate is likely to be required before the final shape of any overall legislation becomes clear.”
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Hahaha I can’t imagine some Irish fella working there illegally this past 20 years suddenly showing up to pay back all his taxes.
They might if it means they can finally come home and visit?
Obviously the Catholic ones will Stephen good honest Christians that they are ;)
Yes mom I am willing to pay back 40,000 dollars just to come back and have a pint of Guinness with ya. Would be cheaper for me to buy my relatives a flight to come to America to be honest. I am pretty sure Irish who go there to live illegally would be going with the sure knowledge of never being able to come back.
Fair point!
Stephen it means they will be able to come home and visit the graves of loved ones and elderly parents.
The $500 fine and back taxes was probably Heyman Gimmemore’s idea.
Graves of elderly parents?
What’s that about.
Gilmore pushes for Illegal Paddy’s rights in the US while his type denounce the US as evil war mongers at every given turn. What a bloody hyprocrite!
What makes the Irish think they are so entitled to everything in the US??? We had our chance and muffed it back when JFK was in power when that lame jackass Dev refused his offer of this country becoming a US protectorate.
Shame Ireland won’t extend the courtesy to the illegal immigrants living here.
Why would they want to stay here? :-)
Because Ireland is a great place to live in! :D
Yeah, does it work in reverse too?? It should, I want out of this place!!
U or someone close to you must be illegal!!
No, I live in the states but want to live in Ireland, but too much red tape
Do Irish Illegal immigrants expect to have citizenship handed to them on a plate? “Thanks for cheating and lying in your business, Paddy Taxdodger! Please stay and bilk the system for as long as you want!”
If this is ratified, I expect a very low take up because it will cost people money.
This is brilliant news . My brother is in New York for the last 10 years illegal . From medical bills to having his teeth done were ridiculously eexpensive . Also he’s my best man for next year so fingers crossed he can ‘haul is ass back home ‘
Honest question here. Why wouldnt he not just marry someone for five grand? A friend of mine did it in new york.
I’m game!!!
A friend of mine did it in miami for 5grand aswell it seems to be the going rate
FFS, change your facebook status to ‘friends only’, – or Cathal will be on the next flight home, without his feet having touched the ground.
Got stung for 10 with one and another 10 with a lawyer who is now in jail
It’s a ploy to get them all home for the gathering!
Both Ireland and the USA have lots of good and bad points. ….. mainly good ones in my opinion. …. both countries could also benifit by allowing easier, less complex and less mutually baffling
Sorry. ..* contd…. less complex immigration procedures would benifit both Ireland and the USA
I have a few friends over there who would happily enter into this, we were only talking about it last month when I was on holidays. They’ve never been out of work, they’ve never been in trouble, they pay their bills on time…….they only piece of the jigsaw missing is legality. I hope it works out for them.
They’ve never paid their taxes…
I’m fairly sure they do pay taxes. Listened to a documentary on it. Employers know they will be screwed by IRS so deduct and pay tax, just doesn’t go through under correct social security number.
Because Ireland is a great place to live :)
“Immigration law would end ‘hardship and uncertainty’ for undocumented Irish”
As would not willfully breaking the law in the first place…
11:5 million ppl paying taxes is a big increase, why not make them legal ?? I think a fixed fee would suffice rather than having to pay years of tax back.. It’s really about starting from day 1 and paying your taxes like everyone else!!! Maybe if our own stupid ignorance government would think the same way, by bringing money into the country yous wouldn’t be bleeding us dry !!!!
Why should people bother going through the proper channels to live and work in the US when they can do it the cheats way?
SWEET WORDS (BLAFFING)…. BUT THE TRUH IS THE ILLEGAL BREACH OF LAW BY THE IRISH IS UNACCEPTIBLE AND THET SHOULD BE PUT IN PRISON OR EVEN EXECUTED!!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Chuck out all illegals and get them to go to the back of the legitimate queue.
Hard situation to be in, and while they’ve made mistakes, they don’t deserve to be criminalised for the rest of their lives.
However I genuinly can’t understand the mentality of people who put themselves in that situation in the first place though. I know 9/11 was a game changer, but settling down and starting a family when your an illegal migrant is just completely irresponsible. Fair enough if your from a poverty stricken third world nation, but from a well off first world country? Even if the economy has tanked, there’s always an acceptable standard of living to come back.
I wish them all a very good luck with their residency. People who lives abroad they know the value of that peace of paper.
Great news for so many young undocumented Irish and others!
Thank God for that. Good news for some of our own in the States.
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