Immigration reform is revisited

Most of the nation's 12 million illegal immigrants would have a pathway to citizenship under a new immigration overhaul bill that has been introduced in the House.

The bipartisan legislation would also create a new guest-worker program, tighten border security and enhance workplace enforcement.

The bill, dubbed the Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act of 2007, was introduced this week by Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., after talks in the Senate stalled.

"The bill we are discussing today is all about security — homeland security, family security and economic security," Gutierrez said. "It is vital we work in a bipartisan fashion to tackle this issue."

Last year, efforts at immigration reform stalled after House Republicans refused to reconcile their enforcement measure with the Senate's sweeping bill that included a legalization provision.

Now that Democrats are in charge of the House and Senate, leaders have identified immigration as a subject on which they could find agreement with President Bush.

Advocates for comprehensive immigration reform lauded the bill during a teleconference, saying they were also encouraged by President Bush's efforts on reform.

"Everybody is waiting for the actual 700 pages," said Clarissa Martinez De Castro, campaign manager of the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. "What we've seen sounds positive. The fact they are starting the debate is very important."

Gutierrez said Democrats will need "significant Republican support" to get the measure through the House. Six Republicans co-sponsored the legislation.

However, Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, who has been Bush's point man on reform, predicted the bill won't go far, said his spokesman Fred Piccolo.

"It's just not a consensus bill. It is a little too vague," Piccolo said. "It's a lot of window dressing, without a lot of substance."

The measure isn't the only one in the works, and Piccolo said the pathway to citizenship could stall the legislation. He added that any passable measure would likely need to include an immediate touch-back provision, in which illegal immigrants applying for legal status would have to leave the United States before they could qualify for legal status.

The bill introduced Thursday would allow illegal immigrants to obtain legal status and then go through the touch-back process anytime during a six-year period.

Illegal immigrants would qualify for "conditional nonimmigrant status" if they arrived in the United States before June 1, 2006, pass background checks and pay a $500 fine.