COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM JOKE #4: Exemptions, waivers, discretion.

The Senate’s pending immigration bill includes roughly 400 exemptions, exceptions, waivers, determinations and grants of discretion.The bill’s complexity is forcing opponents and supporters to comb through its 844 pages before they can declare their conditional support or opposition to the high-stakes measure. -MORE HERE

“WAIVER.—The Secretary, in the Secretary’s sole and unreviewable discretion, may waive the application of subparagraph (A) on behalf of an alien,” says one passage on page 71 of the complex document.

The bill mentions “exempt” or “exemption” 18 times.

Except” appears 156 times in the document.

There are 94 uses of “waiver,” including a provision on page 198 that allows the secretary to invite a deported illegal immigrant to return and file for the amnesty.

“The Secretary of Homeland Security may permit an alien to remain temporarily in the United States and authorize the alien to engage in employment in the United States if the Secretary determines that the alien … has been helpful, is being helpful, or is likely to be helpful, in the investigation, prosecution of, or pursuit of civil remedies related to the claim arising from a covered violation.”

“Unreviewable” appears seven times in the bill.

On page 568, for example, the bill declares that “the Attorney General may, in the Attorney General’s sole and unreviewable discretion, appoint or provide counsel to aliens in immigration proceedings conducted under section 240 of this Act.”