In Congress, a long road ahead for immigration bill

The Senate agreement reached Thursday still faces stiff opposition in the Senate and the House.

from the May 21, 2007 edition

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In addition, the cap for high-skilled workers admitted under the H-1B visa program will be increased from 65,000 to 115,000 annually – a flash point for lawmakers concerned about the impact of such a move on wages and job prospects for US high-tech workers.

In an early warning sign on this issue, Sens. Grassley and Richard Durbin (D) of Illinois, the No. 2 Democratic leader, called on the top nine foreign-based companies that use H-1B visas to disclose details about their workforce. Democratic staff members say they are expecting a floor fight on the program.

But the most controversial element of the proposed law is the renewable "Z" nonimmigrant visa, which offers a path to legal status for some 12 million undocumented people now living in the country. To be eligible for this visa, applicants must have been "illegally present within the US before January 1, 2007." Applicants must also pass a background check, remain employed, maintain a clean criminal record, pay a $5,000 fine and receive a counterfeit-proof biometric card to apply for a work visa.

For many lawmakers, especially those facing voters in 2008, the Z visa could be the toughest vote of the year. On the presidential campaign trail, only Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona gave the proposed bill a clear thumbs up.

A GOP rival, Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, rushed a "secure borders" ad to television screens in New Hampshire and Iowa over the weekend, in which he disavowed amnesty. Several Democrats in the race criticized the impact of the proposed law on family reunification.

On Sunday, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell said that Republicans would not block consideration of an immigration bill as they had threatened before a bipartisan deal was announced, but he said that the bill "can't possibly be completed before Memorial Day."

"This is a big, complicated piece of legislation," he said, in an appearance on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" on Sunday.

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