Whitehouse: No Z-Visas for Illegal Felons Equates to Torture

In the ongoing immigration debate in the Senate, Sen. John Cornyn introduced an amendment banning felons from obtaining Z visas. Our own Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse rose up in opposition to Cornyn's attempt at common sense, as Michelle Malkin reports:

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (who?) is blabbering on about the due process rights of illegal aliens. Now he's equating torture and rendition with the Cornyn amendment to ban felons from getting Z visas. Whitehouse: "There they go again." Accuses GOP of violating "bedrock principles" of American law. {link to "rendition" added by me-ed.}

Yes, it's surely within the spirit of American law to allow someone who has been convicted of a crime while in this country illegally to be allowed to stay and, eventually, become a citizen.

MORE: Cornyn's amendment was an attempt to close some loopholes in the omnibus Immigration Reform Bill.

“The question I put to my colleagues is this: Should Congress permanently bar from the U.S. and from receiving any immigration benefit: suspected terrorists, gang members, sex offenders, felony drunk drivers, and other individuals who are a danger to society?,” Sen. Cornyn said. “I hope that every Senator would answer this question with a positive response.

Sen. Cornyn’s amendment also closes the loophole in the pending bill that allows legalization of those illegal immigrants who have violated court ordered deportations, or absconders.

“Unlike the first half of my amendment, this is not a technical correction. In other words, the decision to legalize this population of illegal immigrants was not an oversight by those who drafted this ‘compromise’ legislation,” Sen. Cornyn said. “Their decision was that Congress should allow exceptions for individuals who are illegally in the United States in defiance of a court order, as well as those individuals who have previously been deported from the United States pursuant to a court order and have again reentered illegally. I could not agree with this decision and I believe every member of the Senate should make clear where they stand on this matter. Congress has determined that each of these crimes is a felony. The laws are on the books, and we must make sure they are enforced.”

According to Malkin, "Cornyn amendment fails. Vote: 46-51." Sen. Ted Kennedy's alternate amendment (which he claims addresses Cornyn's concerns about the worst felons) has passed. The difference: Kennedy doesn't consider a lot of what he calls "garden variety" crimes (ignoring deportation, using fake IDs) serious enough to disqualify someone from obtaining a Z Visa while Cornyn did.