Senators unveil historic immigration plan
WASHINGTON – A remarkable alliance of Senate liberals, conservatives and the White House struck a deal on an immigration reform bill Thursday that would allow up to 12 million illegal immigrants to become legal and remain in the country.
In exchange, the lawmakers agreed to build a vast wall along the Mexican border, double the nation’s border patrol and institute other enforcement controls.
The deal was hailed as historic by both sides, and President Bush said the proposal would “help enforce our borders, but equally importantly, it’ll treat people with respect.”
Despite the striking bipartisan support, the proposal immediately came under attack from the left and right, and it wasn’t clear whether it would survive to be signed into law.
“It’s a good beginning,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “We hope they improve on it during their amendment process. We will have our process.”
“I’m going to oppose this,” said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., “No matter how they disguise it, it’s amnesty.”
Even Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd, of West Virginia, broke ranks early, calling it amnesty that rewards “those who break our immigration laws.”
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate, was noncommittal.
The bill, which is still being tweaked, is expected to be brought up in the Senate for debate on Monday.
It would immediately grant undocumented immigrants the right to come forward and get four-year, renewable nonimmigrant Z visas, after paying $5,000 in fees and fines.
Within 18 months it would create a revamped immigration system that includes a temporary-worker program.
That would grant hundreds of thousands of visas annually to people who could come to the U.S. for three two-year stays, with at least a year in between stints.
In addition, it would start a point system for new immigrants, granting preference to people with advanced degrees and technical skills, rather than to relatives of immigrants already in the country.
But beyond the Z visa, none of the new provisions would be allowed to take effect until the federal authorities get all the clampdowns in the bill in place.
Among the border-tightening measures would be 370 miles of fence, 200 miles of vehicle barriers and 70 towers for radar and video surveillance.
The bill would launch a swipe-card system to let employers make sure workers are legal by matching them to a photo database. And it proposes tougher penalties for businesses that hire illegal immigrants.
The senators who cut the deal admitted it could be a hard sell to the rest of Congress.
“Politics is the art of the possible,” said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.
“The agreement we just reached is the best possible chance we will have in years to secure our borders, bring millions of people out of the shadows and into the sunshine of America.”
“Immigration has become a third rail in American politics,” said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who predicted broad attacks on their proposal.
He wasn’t wrong. New Jersey Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez, who participated in the negotiations, said he would vote against it.
“It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does have to be fair, humane and practical,” Menendez said.
On the other side of Capitol Hill, many Democrats in the House found the plan stingy, and they were particularly displeased by the family restrictions.
“There are also millions and millions of American citizens who wish to bring their families together, bring their spouses, their children, and to secure for them a future, a great future,” said Rep. Luis Gutierriez, D-Ill. “And that is a key principle of everything that we do.”
House leaders also don’t like the physical fence, the $5,000 penalty and the interrupted stays for temporary workers, which they fear could lead to abuses by employers.
Powerful labor groups echoed that sentiment. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said it would “amount to virtual servitude” for the temporary workers.