House chairman rejects ‘special’ citizenship path

House chairman rejects ‘special’ citizenship path

VERONA, Va. (AP) — The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee is rejecting the idea of giving immigrants in the U.S. illegally a special pathway to citizenship.

Republican congressman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia also says he’ll do everything he can to ensure the House never takes up the Senate’s comprehensive immigration bill, which includes a path to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants in the country illegally.

Goodlatte said the House will proceed with individual immigration bills once lawmakers return to Washington in September from their summer recess.

He reiterated that no one here illegally should get a special path to citizenship. Goodlatte has said people here illegally could get some other legal status and from there achieve citizenship through existing methods.

He made his comments at a town hall meeting this evening.