ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION Legislation makes slow progress

Representatives voted to require U.S. Border Patrol uniforms to be made in the U.S.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Overcoming internal opposition, House Republicans on Thursday began debate on legislation intended to shut down illegal immigration and require employers to verify the legal status of their workers.
After GOP leaders appealed for party unity, the Republican-controlled House voted 220-206 to approve a parliamentary measure needed to move ahead on the bill.
The dispute slowed action on the measure, which was expected to be completed today at the earliest.
Late Thursday, the House was working its way through amendments, including one that would require construction of fencing along parts of the U.S. border with Mexico.
On voice vote, House members approved an amendment requiring Border Patrol uniforms to be made in the United States. Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., said they are now made in Mexico, possibly posing security problems.
One of the most contentious issues that could be considered today would deny citizenship to children born in the United States to illegal immigrants.
"Those people who are against this bill don't want any changes in the existing system except perhaps amnesty, or, excuse me, 'earned legalization,' or perhaps citizenship for those who have broken the law," said Rep. James Sensenbrenner, a chief sponsor.
Protecting borders
Supporters defended their approach of acting to cut off the flow of illegal entrants before turning to the tougher issues of a guest worker program or other means to fill the jobs that now attract millions of undocumented workers.
"Until the borders are protected, we cannot have any kind of meaningful immigration reform," said GOP Rep. Peter King of New York, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
Almost all Democrats, and several border-state Republicans such as Rep. Jeff Flake and fellow Arizonan Jim Kolbe, pushed for a more comprehensive measure that would deal with the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already in the United States.
The GOP bill "does nothing to solve the real problems of illegal immigration," Kolbe said. "In fact, it's worse than nothing."
Executive stance
The White House said in a statement that it strongly supported the House bill, while adding that it "remains committed to comprehensive immigration reform, including a temporary worker program that avoids amnesty."
President Bush almost two years ago urged Congress to enact a guest worker program. He repeated that message during a recent visit to the Mexican border.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., says the guest worker issue will be on the table when the Senate takes up immigration overhaul in February. The main dispute is over whether the estimated 6 million illegal workers should have to leave the country before applying for a temporary worker program.
The House bill combines the work of King and Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., who is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
New policies, penalties
The border security aspects, King said, include requiring the Homeland Security Department to employ the personnel and technology needed to secure the border, ending the "catch-and-release" policy for non-Mexicans, and requiring the Pentagon and Homeland Security to come up with a common plan on the use of military technology to stop illegal crossings.
The bill also outlines increased penalties for smugglers and those re-entering illegally; authorizes police along the border to enforce immigration law; and makes illegal presence in the United States, now a civil offense, a misdemeanor crime.
The bill originally made illegal presence a felony. Sensenbrenner's spokesman, Jeff Lungren, said that was being changed because felonies require jury trials and consume too many resources.
Most significantly, the bill requires all employers in the country, more than 7 million, to check on the legal status of workers.
Randel Johnson of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Wednesday that the House bill was unacceptable to businesses because of "huge concerns" that the requirement to submit Social Security numbers and other vital statistics to a central database would not work. Companies that do not verify the legal status of workers would be subject to penalties.
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