Immigration bill collapses in Senate

Less than 24 hours after senators celebrated a bipartisan breakthrough on immigration policy, the effort to pass broad new legislation collapsed on Apr. 7 in a partisan and procedural meltdown that threatened to derail the issue for the year. Architects of a proposal that would combine strict border controls with an opportunity for millions of illegal aliens to qualify for residency said they had the support of as many as 70 senators, but they were unable to resolve disputes over amendments and other technical issues and the measure was yanked from the floor. After a series of failed efforts to close off debate on competing immigration proposals, the legislation was dispatched back to the Judiciary Committee. Senator Arlen Specter, chairman of the panel, said he would immediately return to work on border policy when senators return from a two-week break. But with other business like annual spending bills starting to pile up and the election drawing ever closer, many lawmakers said the best opportunity to approve legislation and start negotiations with the House may have been lost. Despite the bipartisan agreement announced on Apr. 6, some conservative Republicans began trying to offer amendments that the bill's sponsors said would have distorted its purpose. The compromise plan would create a temporary worker program that would allow 325,000 foreigners to fill jobs in the United States each year. And, if passed, it would mark the most sweeping immigration accord in two decades. The late-night battle burst into the open many hours after Senate leaders had resolved their substantive differences over the thorny question of legalization. Conservatives, who condemned the compromise as little more than amnesty for "lawbreakers," sought to offer amendments to the bill. But Democrats refused to allow votes on the amendments, saying they were intended to delay the process and gut the legislation. Under the Senate agreement, illegal immigrants who have lived in the United States for five years or more, about seven million people, would eventually be granted citizenship if they remained employed, had background checks, paid fines and back taxes and learned English. Illegal immigrants who have lived here for two to five years, about three million people, would have to travel to a United States border crossing and apply for a temporary work visa. They would be eligible for permanent residency and citizenship over time, but they would have to wait several years longer for it. Illegal immigrants who have been here less than two years, about one million people, would be required to leave the country altogether. They could apply for spots in the temporary worker program, but they would not be guaranteed positions. During the negotiations, tensions began to rise as Republicans insisted that the Democrats allow a vote on several of their amendments. One amendment would have required the Department of Homeland Security to certify that the border was secure before creating a guest worker program or granting legal status to illegal immigrants. Another would have had the legalization program bar illegal immigrants who had deportation orders or had been convicted of a felony or three misdemeanors. Democratic critics of the proposals said they were intended to ensure that the legalization process would never be implemented.