Immigrant Amnesty Proposal Introduced in the House of Representatives

While lawmakers in the Senate continue to debate reform to the nation's healthcare system, the House of Representatives is already beginning to debate immigration reform as it has already passed a healthcarebill.

Representative Luis Gutierrez, a Democrat from Indiana, announced that he will introduce his immigration reform proposal this week.  This proposed legislation will be known as the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP).  Representative Gutierrez commented on his proposal, releasing the following comments on his website:

"We have waited patiently for a workable solution to our immigration crisis to be taken up by this Congress and our President.  The time for waiting is over. This bill will be presented before Congress recesses for the holidays so that there is no excuse for inaction in the New Year. It is the product of months of collaboration with civil rights advocates, labor organizations, and members of Congress. It is an answer to too many years of pain--mothers separated from their children, workers exploited and undermined security at the border-- all caused at the hands of a broken immigration system. This bill says 'enough,' and presents a solution to our broken system that we as a nation of immigrants can be proud of."

Representative Gutierrez's proposal is expected to include increased border enforcement in addition to a path to legalization for the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.  This signifies a departure from his earlier proposals which ignored enforcement in favor of amnesty.  President Obama is expected to support legislation similar to the Gutierrez Bill, having promised to take up immigration reform after his vow to reform the healthcare system is fulfilled.  The Senate's long delayed vote on healthcare is expected to conclude early next year.  At that point, both houses of Congress could begin debate over immigration laws, with Representative Gutierrez's proposal likely serving as a starting point for negotiations.

As more details of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP) become available, I will report them in my article next week.  At this time, we do not know whether the "path to legalization" will include immigrants with prior deportation orders, or those who entered the country with fraudulent passports, for example.  It is also unknown whether comprehensive immigration reform will increase the number of H-1B visas, or a guest-worker program similar to that proposed by President Bush.  There is a growing consensus that new immigration laws must reflect changes to the U.S. economy.