The amnesty bill in the Senate looks as if it's going to be around a thousand pages, it didn't go through normal channels in the Senate, and it was just recently released, so there are sure to be dozens of serious problems with it that either haven't been discovered or widely publicized yet. Then, once the amendment process gets started, a whole new host of issues will be created. But in the interim, here are 5 huge problems with the bill that should lead conservatives to oppose it.

1) Security doesn't come first in this bill. If there's one lesson people who have followed the immigration issue have had burned into us over and over again, it's that if you agree to an immigration bill that has amnesty and enforcement provisions in it, the amnesty happens but the enforcement provisions are never enacted.

This bill would immediately legalize illegal aliens that are currently in the country and then it would put in place triggers to be completed in order to get a guest worker program going. The problem with this is that Congress is like a five year old at dinner when it comes to immigration. The only way you can get the kid to eat his green beans is by telling him that he can't eat his ice cream until he's finished -- and the only way Congress will actually see to it that the border security and enforcement provisions in the bill will be implemented is if they have to do them before they even consider an amnesty for the people who are here.

2) Illegal aliens won't have to pay back taxes -- where do we get the same deal? The whole idea that illegals shouldn't have to pay the taxes they already owe for working in the United States is utterly and completely offensive because it actually gives them a privilege that American citizens aren't getting: forgiveness for taxes owed to the IRS.

The rationale behind this is supposed to be that it will be difficult to figure out how much the illegal aliens owe. Of course, the same could probably be said for most Americans who have been audited by the IRS. It's also worth noting that if our government doesn't believe they can make heads or tales of the paperwork that will allow them to collect money they're owed, how can we possibly be confident that they can figure out which of these illegals have criminal records or arrived before the deadline to receive amnesty?

The truth is that when you consider that most of these people aren't in the country legally, don't respect our laws, have no qualms about document fraud, and combine that with the practically non-functional bureaucracy we have in place to deal with immigration problems, you'll have everyone from rapists to terrorists to murderers given a tax amnesty and legal status in the United States because the bureaucrats won't have a clue who's who.

3) Free legal services, on the taxpayer's dime, for illegal aliens -- where do we get the same deal?: Have you ever needed a lawyer? They're not cheap, are they? In fact, you might have forgone collecting money that you were owed or fighting an unfair allegation made against you because you couldn't afford a lawyer. But, that won't be a problem for illegal aliens because this bill would provide lawyers for them and YOU would be one of the people paying for it. From the Heritage Foundation,

"The Senate's bill would force taxpayers to foot the bill for many illegal aliens' lawyers. Under current law, illegal aliens are not eligible for federally funded legal services. Section 622(m) of the bill would allow millions of illegal aliens who work in agriculture to receive free legal services. Every illegal alien working in the agricultural sector would have access to an immigration attorney to argue his case through the immigration courts and federal courts of appeals—all at taxpayer expense. This provision alone could cost hundreds of millions of dollars each year."

Why should American citizens be asked to pick up the tab for the legal bills of foreigners who don’t obey our laws? This is like demanding that a citizen of a town contribute to a legal defense fund for a cat burglar who has been breaking into houses all over town or in the case of illegal aliens, using our hospitals and schools for free while collecting welfare and food stamps for the anchor baby that they had here.

4) This bill rewards illegal aliens for breaking our laws. As anyone who has a friend or relative who has tried to go through our legal immigration process can tell you, our system is a hopelessly tangled ball of red tape that takes many years, thousands of dollars, and almost countless hours of frustration to maneuver through. That's why we have tens of millions of people who respect our laws and our country, waiting patiently, in line, often in their home countries, to get a chance to come here.

But, what about the people who don't respect our laws or our country and just wandered across the border one day, bought fake documents, and used our schools and hospitals for free? The Senate is giving those people a sweetheart deal.

They'll be immediately eligible for a "Z Visa" which allows them to work, go to school, and -- this is important -- stay here for the rest of their lives if they so choose because there is no limit on the number of times it can be renewed. Some of them, as has already been mentioned, will be given free legal services and none of them will have to pay the back taxes they owe. This bill also allows colleges to give illegal aliens in-state tuition rates, which isn't only a better deal than legal immigrants get, it's a better deal than American citizens get. For example, an illegal alien from Saudi Arabia could potentially get to pay a cheaper rate to go to a college in California than an American citizen from Oregon. Keep in mind that all these privileges and benefits will even be given to illegal aliens who are gang members or have directly violated orders of the US Immigration Court to leave the country. Continued...