Gang of Eight Bill Would Unleash Unprecedented Wave of Immigration Finds Analysis by FAIR

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- According to analysis by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), enactment of the Senate Gang of Eight immigration bill, S.744, would nearly triple the number of immigrants admitted to the U.S. with work authorization over the next decade to almost 34 million.

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S.744's amnesty provisions – a general amnesty for virtually all illegal aliens who arrived prior to 2012, for deported aliens with close relatives in the U.S., for illegal aliens who entered the country before age 16, and for illegal aliens who worked in agriculture – would grant legal status to 12.8 million people. A decade after enactment, virtually all of these amnesty beneficiaries would become green card holders.

In addition to the 12.8 million amnesty recipients, FAIR estimates another 21 million immigrants would receive green cards during the first decade of enactment. These new arrivals would include about 12 million people who would enter through existing family and employment-based systems, through a newly created merit-based system (which gives points for having relatives in the U.S.) plus the fast-track admission of about 4 million current applicants who are waiting in line,

"S.744 would unleash a staggering wave of immigration to the United States, unprecedented not only in American history, but in human history," warned Dan Stein, president of FAIR. "The consequences of this flood of immigrants entering our labor force, utilizing our infrastructure, school systems, welfare programs, and natural resources, are almost unimaginable.

"Moreover, the wave of immigration generated by S.744 would not abate after the first decade. Through the changes in the bill, legal permanent residents, like citizens, may now petition for relatives in ways not subject to numerical caps, inviting even greater chain migration," continued Stein.

"The most recent unemployment data show that America now has 22 million people who are unemployed or involuntarily working part-time. Yet, within six months of enactment, S.744 would make millions of illegal aliens eligible to compete for every job in our economy, and open the doors to more than 20 million new arrivals over the next decade. This bill is a dagger pointed at the heart of the American worker," Stein declared.

"By what possible rationale could Congress justify legislation that would add 34 million new permanent immigrants to our population in just one decade? There is not a single national interest that would be advanced by the sort of explosive population growth that would be touched off by this reckless and irresponsible bill," Stein stated.

The breakdown of FAIR's 10-year estimate of increased immigration after enactment of S.744 is as follows:

"As astounding as these numbers are, they don't capture the full potential impact of this bill," said Stein. "The 34 million figure does not include some 25 million temporary work visas that could be issued during the first decade S.744 is in effect. Nor does this estimate include new illegal immigration, or potentially large numbers of people who gain amnesty fraudulently. The impact of this bill will be felt for decades to come," Stein concluded.

The complete breakdown of FAIR's analysis can be found at www.fairus.org.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is a national, nonprofit, public-interest, membership organization of concerned citizens who share a common belief that our nation's immigration policies must be reformed to serve the national interest.

Visit FAIR's website at www.fairus.org.

SOURCE FAIR