Plan would give millions of illegals legal status

WASHINGTON — It took an improbable alliance of senators from the hard right and far left to strike a sweeping immigration deal to fix problems that have bedeviled Republicans and Democrats for decades.

The coalition faces a daunting test of its strength next week as the Senate begins debating the plan unveiled Thursday, one that would grant legal status to millions of people in the country unlawfully and fulfill a top domestic goal of President Bush.

Bush said the proposal would "help enforce our borders, but equally importantly, it'll treat people with respect."

A carefully crafted hybrid of conservatives' and liberals' divergent philosophies on immigration, the deal also mandates bolstered border security and a high-tech employment verification system to prevent illegal workers from getting jobs.

It was sealed after months of secretive bargaining between the White House and lawmakers in both parties — from liberal Democrat Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts to conservative Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona — on an issue that carries heavy potential risks and rewards for all involved.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said debate would begin Monday, but he cautioned, "I don't know if the immigration legislation is going to bear fruit and we're going to be able to pass it."

Almost instantly, the plan brought vehement criticism from both sides of the immigration issue, including liberals who called it unfair and unworkable and conservatives who branded it an overly permissive "amnesty."

The proposal constitutes a far-reaching change in the immigration system that would admit future arrivals seeking to put down roots in the United States based on their skills, education levels and job experience, limiting the importance of family ties. A new class of guest workers would be allowed in temporarily, but only after the new security measures were in place — expected to take 18 months.

Kennedy hailed it as "the best possible chance we will have in years to secure our borders and bring millions of people out of the shadows and into the sunshine of America."

Kyl said the measure wasn't perfect, "but it represents the best opportunity that we have in a bipartisan way to do something about this problem."

Utahns gave mixed reviews to the bill.

Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, issued a statement saying he was reviewing the bill's details. "It is clear that comprehensive immigration reform is needed to address the national security and economic realities currently facing our country," Bennett said. "For the past several months, both Republicans and Democrats have worked to find common ground on critical immigration issues, and I am pleased that an agreement was reached today."