House bill would let illegal immigrants stay, re-enter legally
SUZANNE GAMBOA
Associated Press
Mar 23, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Two key House members are hoping to build support for immigration reform by proposing illegal immigrants leave the country and re-enter legally before becoming eligible for permanent U.S. residency.
The proposal by Reps. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., is intended to appease critics who say granting legal status is amnesty and to immigration supporters who don't want 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants deported.
Gutierrez and Flake, who planned a Thursday news conference to announce the legislation, have said they don't have enough Democratic support to pass a bill granting legal residency to illegal immigrants and must persuade some Republican members to join them.
Last year, House Republicans balked at proposals for a shot at legal residency for immigrants and passed a bill that would have made being in the country illegally a felony. But some of the toughest critics lost their re-election campaigns.
Flake and Gutierrez's proposal calls for illegal immigrants in the country as of June 1, 2006, to remain on six-year work visas. During those six years, they must learn English and civics, pay a $2,000 fine and settle back taxes.
At some point during the six years, they must leave the U.S. and re-enter legally with their work visa. The immigrants could go to Canada or Mexico and return. The measure is often referred to as a touchback provision.
Gutierrez and Flake have spent months drafting their bill behind closed doors with input from White House officials, members of both parties and senators. They initially were working with Sens. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and John McCain, R-Ariz., but the senators bailed out after they couldn't agree on some key issues.
Gutierrez and Flake weren't immediately available for comment Wednesday.
Kennedy has said he wants to introduce the bill that was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee last year. That bill didn't include the so-called touchback provision.
McCain now says he's open to other proposals, and Kennedy said he'd like to see more details about the touchback plan.
"The old question is, is it really manageable? Can it really be implemented? What are going to be the exemptions? There are a lot of questions that are associated with it," Kennedy said. "It's not really a new issue or new question. We've been thinking about that a long time."
Florida Republican Sen. Mel Martinez was part of the team that hashed out a compromise in last year's Senate immigration bill, including a plan that would have required illegal immigrants in the country two to five years to go to a port of entry and re-enter as a legal guest worker.
"If you want to be a citizen of this country, maybe the only way to do that is have a legal entry," Martinez said.
Other proposals in the Gutierrez-Flake bill would:
-- Reduce a backlog in visas for immigrants' family members who want to come to the U.S.
