US Senate panel approves immigration bill

A United States Senate panel has approved an immigration bill that paves the way for a green card for millions of illegal immigrants in the country, seen as the first step towards the American citizenship.

The vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee of bipartisan lawmakers was 12 to 6 and there was no immediate reaction from the White House, which has been pushing for a Guest Worker programme but making the point that it was against granting any kind of amnesty to those who entered and stayed in this country illegally.

The biggest boon in the proposed legislation and one that has been the bone of contention is to permit illegal immigrants currently in the United States to apply for citizenship without first having to return home in a process that has been estimated to take six years.

The Senate panel has designed a legislation that strengthens the borders, regulating the so-called guest workers and coming to terms with an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in this country, mostly from across the border. Published accounts of the Senate panel's legislation speak of doubling the border patrol, authorising a 'virtual wall' of unmanned vehicles and other devices to monitor the borders, allowing more visas for nurses and agricultural workers, and protecting organisations from prosecution if they provided non-emergency assistance to illegal immigrants.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is trying to bring about a bipartisan plan that will address the apprehensions of the conservatives and concerns of the liberals in a broad bill that will take into account ways to legalise the illegal status of those millions of people in the country.

Conservative Republicans are appalled that the Bush administration is aligning itself with those lawmakers who want to give the illegal residents a way out. Those in the Grand Old Party who oppose Bush on immigration argue that the President is pushing for an amnesty that rewards people for their illegal act.

The White House disagrees with this position. "Completing a comprehensive bill is not going to be easy. It will require all of us in Washington to make tough choices and make compromises," Bush said.

The House of Representatives has already come out with a version of the immigration bill late last year that calls for a fence along the border with Mexico, making it a felony to be illegal in the United States and calling for stringent fines on employers who hire illegal immigrants.

Even if a bill comes out in some shape from the Senate Judiciary Committee and passes the full Senate, reconciliation with the House of Representatives will not be easy given the wide differences in language and perception. Besides, many lawmakers will choose to stay away from a comprehensive immigration package during this crucial election year.