WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of leading
senators has reached agreement on the principles for a sweeping overhaul of the
nation's immigration laws, including a
path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in this country. The deal, to
be announced at a news conference Monday, also covers border security,
non-citizen or "guest" workers and employer verification of immigration status.
Although
thorny details remain to be negotiated and success is far from certain, the
development heralds the start of what could be the most significant effort in
years toward overhauling the nation's inefficient patchwork ofimmigration laws. President Barack Obama also is committed to enacting
comprehensive immigration legislation and
will travel to Nevada on Tuesday to lay out his vision, which is expected to
overlap in important ways with the Senate effort.
"We
welcome this. We think this is positive," said White House spokesman Jay
Carney. He said the Senate plan mirrors the principles Obama believes must be
included in immigration
reform, but wouldn't say whether Obama would sign any legislation
that ultimately emerges. Passage of legislation by the full
Democratic-controlled Senate is far from assured, but the tallest hurdle could
come in the House, which is dominated by conservative Republicans who've shown
little interest in immigration
reform.
Still,
with some Republicans chastened by the November elections which demonstrated
the importance of Latino voters and their increasing commitment to Democrats,
some in the GOP say this time will be different. "What's changed,
honestly, is that there is a new, I think, appreciation on both sides of the
aisle — including maybe more importantly on the Republican side of the aisle —
that we have to enact a comprehensive immigration
reform bill,"
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "I
think the time is right," McCain said.
Besides
McCain, the senators expected to endorse the new principles Monday are
Democrats Charles Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Robert Menendez
of New Jersey and Michael Bennet of Colorado; and Republicans Lindsey Graham of
South Carolina, Marco Rubio of Florida and Jeff Flake of Arizona. Several
of these lawmakers have worked for years on the issue. McCain collaborated with
the late Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on comprehensive immigration legislation pushed
by then-President George W. Bush in 2007, only to see it collapse in the Senate
when it couldn't get enough GOP support.
The
group claims a notable newcomer in Rubio, a potential 2016 presidential
candidate whose conservative bona fides may help smooth the way for support
among conservatives wary of anything that smacks of amnesty. In an opinion
piece published Sunday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Rubio wrote that the
existing system amounts to "de facto amnesty," and he called for
"commonsense reform."
According to documents obtained by The Associated
Press, the senators will call for accomplishing four goals:
—Creating a path
to citizenship for illegal
immigrants already
here, contingent upon securing the border and better tracking of people here on
visas.
—Reforming the
legal immigration system, including
awarding green cards to immigrants who obtain advanced degrees in science,
math, technology or engineering from an American university.
—Creating an
effective employment verification system to ensure that employers do not hire illegal immigrants in the future, including requiring
prospective workers to verify legal status and identity through a non-forgeable
electronic system.
—Allowing more low-skill workers into the country and
allowing employers to hire immigrants if they can demonstrate they couldn't
recruit a U.S. citizen; and establishing an agricultural worker program.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., applauded
the framework and said, "I will do everything in my power to get a bill
across the finish line."
The principles
being released Monday are outlined on just over four pages, leaving plenty of
details left to fill in. What the senators do call for is similar to Obama's
goals and some past efforts by Democrats and Republicans, since there's wide
agreement in identifying problems with the currentimmigration system. The most
difficult disagreement is likely to arise over how to accomplish the path to citizenship.
In order to
satisfy the concerns of Rubio and other Republicans, the senators are calling
for the completion of steps on border security and oversight of those here on
visas before taking major steps forward on the path to citizenship.
Even then, those
here illegally would have to pass background checks and pay fines and taxes in
order to qualify for a "probationary legal status" that would allow
them to live and work here — but not qualify for federal benefits — before
being able to apply for permanent residency, a critical step toward
citizenship. Once they are allowed to apply they would do so behind everyone
else already in line for a green card within the current immigration system.
1.
What is this article about?
2.
What are some laws in your country that
you think need reforming?
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