Senate Sets May Deadline for Compromise Immigration Bill

The US Senate is struggling to reach a consensus on immigration reform as immigrant rights advocates take to the streets anew to press for a solution to a seriously flawed immigration system.

Members of a Senate bipartisan group are working to meet a mid-May deadline to come up with an immigration reform bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has scheduled the immigration debate for the last two weeks of May.

Although President George W. Bush has repeatedly called for a comprehensive approach to immigration reform based on a guest worker program, senators from both sides of the political spectrum are still deadlocked on what to do with the 11 million undocumented migrants.

Not wishing to alienate his conservative supporters, President Bush has echoed the refusal of some Republicans to offer amnesty.  Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), for instance, insists that immigration reform must not reward those who have violated the law by offering a path to citizenship.

Pro-immigration groups, however, emphasize that earned legalization is not tantamount to amnesty. Previous bills containing earned legalization provisions specifically require that the undocumented migrant pass background and criminal checks, pay a hefty penalty in addition to any back taxes and filing fees. Depending on the length of residency in the US, some proposals require the applicant to exit the US first to be eligible for earned legalization.

Although it is unclear where the bipartisan talks are headed, there is a shared optimism that both sides are committed to the job of fixing the immigration system.

In a Reuters report, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research immigration expert, Tamar Jacoby said “I think I can see a sweet spot. But can they both stretch quite enough to get there, I don’t know.” The same report quoted Angela Kelly, deputy director of the National Immigration Forum, “There’s a lot of good will and determination to get to an agreement, but especially now that they are looking at the details it’s pretty difficult.”

In the Chicago Tribune, Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), a member of the bipartisan group, commented, “We’ve made tremendous progress and there’s a real hope to get a to a bill of significance.”

As the Senate grapples with a widely acceptable immigration reform proposal, the real snag might occur when both Houses sit to consider the issue.

According to the Chicago Tribune, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is “reluctant to have Democrats alone face the wrath of voters opposed to a sweeping bill.” She will reportedly put off House deliberations on immigration reform until President Bush can deliver at least 70 Republican votes.

With all the political maneuverings going on, the bottom line for President Bush is that immigration reform is his last chance to leave a domestic legacy before the 2008 presidential elections take center stage. Hopefully, this legacy will honor America’s history as a nation of immigrants.