Controversy over Immigration Reform

There is much percolating about the Senate’s compromise immigration reform proposal.  Although I have not yet seen it, news stories report that the bill is nearly 400 pages.  The L.A. Times reports (here) that the compromise immigration plan is “the best prospect for congressional action on the explosive issue this year — perhaps for several years to come” but is suffering “attacks from both left and right” that could end in a “stalemate” over immigration refom.

“This is far from over,” Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) said, criticizing as “amnesty, amnesty and amnesty” the provision that provides illegal immigrant workers with a path to legal standing and citizenship.

Among Democrats, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada expressed “serious concerns about some aspects of this proposal, including the structure of the temporary worker program and undue limitations on family immigration.” Reid’s statement was referring to parts of the measure that would set out conditions for temporarily letting foreign workers enter the United States, and to changes in the provisions that permit legal immigrants to bring family members into the country.

KJ

P.S.  Careen Shannon of Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy reports that there’s no actual bill text available yet, but the Judiciary Committee has produced a section-by-section summary. Download briefsectionbysection_51707.doc  There could be some changes in the final text.

P.S.S.  Here is an unverified version of the bill posted on the Immprof listserve.    Download immigration_consolidated_05.17.2007 FINAL.doc