Border Security Bill Proof Dems Have Secured Border? Ready to Move on Comprehensive Reform?

The $600 million Senate border security bill that Obama will sign later this week is all the proof Americans need that protecting and closing our borders has happened. Democrats are ready to move ahead with "comprehensive reform," saying the bill should "break the deadlock...." in Congress, and silence the calls to "close the border first, before we deal with illegals already in this country.

Border Security - ICE

Perhaps this bill is nothing more than a distraction. It pales under the scrutiny of the unwilling participation of the Obama administration and Congress to enforce the laws already on the books, as well as demanding law enforcement routinely look the other way as the U.S. invaded on our Southern Border.

In meetings with Republicans, “I repeatedly heard them say that once we showed we were serious about passing border security legislation, they would be able to begin working with us to fix other aspects of our broken immigration system,” Schumer said. The bill would box in Republicans politically, he added, compelling them to keep their word.

“I believe tactically it will help us move forward because it pulls away their No. 1 excuse, which is we can’t do comprehensive until there is border change,” Schumer said. “Certainly we were getting nowhere the old way.”

The bill will supposedly provide for 1,500 new border "personnel," two unmanned drones and "military-style bases along the border." The question is, will the new "personnel" have the authority to do whatever is necessary to keep illegals out? Remember that illegals must be handed over to ICE, who who are then impotent to do anything unless the illegal migrants have committed crimes other than being in the U.S. illegally. It's bizarre, but no more bizarre than Chuck Schumer thinking the Senate legislation has answered the call to "SECURE THE BORDER FIRST."

Our crafty Senate has found a way to pay the $600 million cost of their legislation. The Wall Street Journal says the fee hikes will mainly affect Indian technology-outsourcing companies. It will affect all companies that have more than half their U.S.-based employees on H1-B or L-1 visas. Microsoft and Intel will likely not be subjected to the fees as "their foreign workers make up less than 50% for their overall work force."

Som Mittal, president of Indian technology industry trade group Nasscom, said Indian companies could face $200 million to $250 million in increased human-resources costs annually if the bill becomes law....

According to a summary of the Senate bill, the new charges would increase visa fees paid by affected companies by roughly $2,000 per visa application. But Mr. Mittal says the increase would actually be about $4,500 more per worker for new visas and $4,000 more for renewals. Currently, most visa applicants also face additional fees; in most cases, the H1-B visa fees amount to about $2,320.

If the original visa fee is $2320 per visa and there are 214,271 "petitions," that's almost $5 million. If the higher estimate of $4,500 by Mr. Mittal is correct, another almost $10 million will be realized from all countries, although it is not clear that all foreign visa apps will be subjected to the fee. That's a total of about $15 million at the most, assuming every application is new and not a renewal, which is a lesser cost. Maybe my math is wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.

If every one of the 214,271 visa petitions costs the max estimate of $4,500 per worker, the total is about $9.5 million. That's a long way from $600 million.

Paying for a bill that may do nothing is a reality.  I was reading at Van Helsing at Moonbattery recently, who said:

The situation is simple. A hostile foreign power is using its criminal underclass to colonize the United States. The federal government, having been hijacked by the radical Left, is doing everything it can to assist this invasion, in the belief that creating a massive new underclass and reducing Caucasians to minority status will give them the demographic leverage to impose socialism and one-party rule.

One day people will ask you what you did to fight Obama and the rest of the vermin who deliberately tried to destroy America. At least the ICE rank and file will be able to say they objected — not that objecting will be anywhere near enough.

Does anyone think these "military-styled" bases along the border will happen anytime soon? Or will close the border?

by Maggie @ Maggie's Notebook