After months of protracted negotiations, the bipartisan immigration bill, which weighs in at almost 900 pages and was crafted by the so-called “gang of eight,” was introduced this week in the Senate. The proposal lives up to its billing as “comprehensive” legislation, reaching into every corner of U.S. immigration policy but tries to strike a balance by providing a path to citizenship that Democrats insist upon and tie in enough border security measures to satisfy Republicans.
The bill lays out a road to citizenship for the approximate 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States, who will have to pay a series of fines adding up to $2,000, demonstrate knowledge of U.S. civics and the English language, as well as meet other requirements before being granted Lawful Permanent Resident Status after 10 years. After another three years, they may become citizens. If the bill becomes law, undocumented workers would be able to obtain a provisional status allowing them to work legally in the United States as they work through the arduous road to citizenship.
The legislation also supplies more visas for highly-skilled workers and restricts visas based on family relationships as well as promising to reduce the backlog of visa seekers in general. Sections of the bill also contain a deal struck between the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest labor group, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the biggest business association, on a low-skilled guest worker program, as well as an accord between farm workers and agricultural businesses on revisions to the visa program for fruit and vegetables harvesters. The use of the E-Verify system to check the status of prospective employees is also included as well as the creation of a “biometric green card” for authorized non-citizen workers.
The Senate bill also mandates investment in border security to keep unskilled immigrants out by setting benchmarks as a pre-condition for allowing undocumented immigrants to advance on the path to becoming citizens. The plan for securing the border must, within five years, result in an apprehension rate of at least 90 percent in “high-risk” sectors, where more than 30,000 people are caught a year. If that rate is not met, the legislation would call for the establishment of a commission of border-state officials and border-security experts to recommend ways to achieve the 90-percent goal. In addition, the bill would authorize $1.5 billion to build additional fencing and make other infrastructure improvements along the U.S.-Mexican border.
Careful political management of such concerns is key to preserving the delicate bipartisan coalition that has formed around this overhaul of current immigration laws. Opposition to immigration reform still strongly exists as many Republican voters oppose a path to citizenship, arguing that it rewards lawbreakers–those that entered the United States illegally–and undercuts U.S. workers.
A hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee took place today. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano had been scheduled to testify today about border security. However, her appearance was postponed because of the continued manhunt for a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing. It was reported that her testimony will be rescheduled.
The committee is scheduled to hold another hearing on the immigration plan on Monday, April 22, and could begin amending the measure the week of May 6. Democratic leaders have said they will allow a vigorous amendment process, both in the Judiciary Committee, and on the floor. However, the “gang of eight” who wrote the proposal have said they will fight any change that could scuttle it. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has reportedly pledged to bring the bill to the Senate floor “no later than June.”
