Post: #1
Title: Immigration Reform Plan
Author: SAMIR IBRAHIM
Date: 05-18-2007, 01:21 AM
Bipartisan Immigration Deal Reached
May 17, 2007 2:39 pm US/Eastern
(CBS News) WASHINGTON A bipartisan group of senators reached agreement with the White House Thursday on an immigration overhaul to grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. and fortify the border against new ones.
One of the key negotiators, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said he expects President Bush to endorse it.
The deal came after weeks of painstaking closed-door negotiations that brought the most liberal Democrats and the most conservative Republicans together with Bush's Cabinet officers to produce a highly complex measure that carries heavy political consequences.
The White House and many of the key senators on different sides of the debate are in on the proposal, but this plan won't be the final version, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Fuss.
While the chances of an immigration bill are now dramatically improved, it is still not a sure thing, Fuss reports.
The agreement set the stage for what promises to be a bruising battle next week in the Senate on one of Bush's top non-war priorities.
The key breakthrough came when negotiators struck a bargain on a so-called "point system" that would for the first time prioritize immigrants' education and skill-level over family connections in deciding how to award green cards.
The proposed agreement would allow illegal immigrants to come forward and obtain a "Z visa" and — after paying fees and a $5,000 fine and returning to their home countries — ultimately get on track for permanent residency, which could take between eight and 13 years.
They could come forward right away to claim a probationary card that would let them live and work legally in the U.S., but could not begin the path to permanent residency or citizenship until border security improvements and a high-tech worker identification program were completed.
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