Last chance for reform

President Bush has re-launched his drive to win passage of comprehensive immigration-law reform, very likely his last chance at a major legislative initiative.
The White House has advanced a detailed plan, which it describes as a draft, calling for stepped-up border security, tougher enforcement of laws against hiring undocumented workers and a guest-worker program. But the real sticking point is a path for the 12 million illegal immigrants here now to gain legal residence and eventually citizenship.
Bush would grant illegal workers here now three-year renewable visas at a cost of 3,500 each time. To become legal permanent residents, recipients of these "Z visas" would have to return to their homeland, pay a 10,000 fine and apply for re-entry through a U.S. consulate.
Amnesty
While these provisions are fairly onerous, it's doubtful they will mollify immigration hard-liners who will construe it as a form of amnesty.
The Senate is more accommodating than the House on reform and it will go first with a bill now being negotiated between the Bush administration and Republicans, to be voted on at the end of May.
The problem is the House. Democratic support for Bush-style reform iswaning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly has said that to win passage of a comprehensive bill Bush will have to deliver around 70 Republican votes.
If so, immigration may have to wait for the next president.
Scripps Howard News Service