Immigration
Compromise
Moves Closer
By DAVID ROGERS
April 18, 2007; Page A7
WASHINGTON -- Hoping to jump-start comprehensive immigration overhaul, the White House and Senate Democrats are embracing a two-step approach aimed at assuring wary conservatives that key border-security provisions will be put in place first.
Last year, a similar "trigger" proposal was defeated 55-40 in the Senate for fear it would effectively kill any chance of carrying out the next steps, such as guest-worker programs or adjusting the legal status of millions of undocumented people now in the U.S.
Since then, its chief supporter, Sen. Johnny Isakson (R., Ga.), has been courted by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who has supported reviving the trigger to help broaden support. Democrats, now in control of Congress, say they also are open to the idea in a new immigration bill, if it wins Republican votes.
"It's going to take some time to develop the systems that we're creating in the immigration bill, and so we are looking at what triggers could apply that would satisfy someone like Sen. Isakson," said Sen. Ken Salazar (D., Colo.). "It is a change of position, and there are lots of different changes as we try to accommodate."
Major obstacles remain, such as the treatment of agricultural workers and how to clear the backlog of legal immigrants who have applied for permanent residency in the U.S. But by reviving the trigger proposal, however modest, both sides show they want to avoid the kind of bitter clash that doomed last year's effort.
"This is a whole different ballgame than it was a year ago," Mr. Isakson said. "Last year, it was a train coming down the track with the lights on, and if you got in the way, it was your fault. This year, it's the train is leaving in the next month or so, and tell us what it needs to do for you to be on board."
"It's been tough going," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.). "I still say it's 50-50. But last year, people were talking about what divided them. Now, we're talking about how to solve the problem."
With Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, Mr. Chertoff has participated in weeks of meetings, first with Senate Republicans and now members of both parties. Senior White House aides are part of the talks, which sometimes resemble political focus groups, as the administration tries to find the right formula to bring in Republican support. But Mr. Chertoff -- who would have to certify that the border-security requirements have been met -- is the most crucial player.
The administration believes these goals can be met 18 months after enactment. As important for Democrats is the time required to clear the backlog of legal immigrants seeking entree to the U.S. now so undocumented workers -- already here -- can apply for permanent residency. Clearing this backlog could take eight years, and one question is whether this can begin while the trigger period is running.
Democrats are impressed by Mr. Chertoff but say hard questions won't be answered until the talks move past concepts, and bill-writing begins. There is time pressure, too, since Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) has cleared the Senate schedule for a full-fledged floor debate on immigration in the last two weeks of May. Democrats believe the Senate must act in that window, so the House can follow this summer and keep alive the hope of an agreement before all of Washington is overtaken by the presidential politics of 2008.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D., Vt.), who is waging his own battles with the administration over the firing of federal prosecutors, signaled he might prefer the immigration bill go directly to the Senate floor, not through his panel. But Sen. Edward Kennedy (D., Mass.) wants to see a full committee markup that would help vet the package and build confidence going to the floor. |
