Thread: After Boston bombings, a muted immigration rollout

After Boston bombings, a muted immigration rollout

By Carrie Dann, Political Reporter, NBC News

With Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings dominating the nation’s attention, reaction to a new comprehensive immigration reform bill was muted in Washington as activists quietly reviewed the legislation and proponents worked to publicize it without the planned fanfare of a morning press conference.

While the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” did not hold the 11 a.m. ET event as planned, the legislation will still likely be formally filed in the Senate later today. Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Chuck Schumer of New York – both members of the bill’s drafting group – are slated to brief President Barack Obama on the legislation at 3:45 p.m. ET at the White House.

In an op-ed published last night in the Wall Street Journal, Schumer and McCain plugged the bill as “firm in cracking down on illegal immigration but sensible when it comes to legal immigration.”

“We believe our legislation represents a responsible, humane and enduring solution to the problem of the millions who are here illegally while continuing to attract and assimilate some of the most skilled talent the world has to offer – but only if we also make good on broken promises to secure U.S. borders and enforce the law,” the pair wrote. “We look forward to the bill's full and fair consideration in both houses of Congress.”


Florida Sen. Marco Rubio discusses his political policies on immigration reform and his divergence from the Republican party on the issue.

The legislation includes ambitious goals for border security and a sharp shift towards more employment-based visas for legal immigrants. It includes provisions for qualified undocumented workers to be eligible to pay fines and back taxes in order to apply for a probationary legal status which can be adjusted to legal permanent residency and ultimately citizenship if certain particulars are met.

But this “path to citizenship” is contingent on several “triggers,” including border surveillance, operational apprehension strategies, cleared backlogs, and the implementation of E-Verify work eligibility systems.

With the postponement of Tuesday’s press conference, outside groups have been fairly reserved in responding to the proposals, putting planned events on hold as the country continues to grapple with the Boston Marathon tragedy.

Speaking briefly at what is typically a weekly question-and-answer session, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell took no questions from reporters -- citing deference to the Boston victims -- and said only that the GOP conference was briefed yesterday on the immigration legislation.

"Hopefully it will provide a bipartisan way forward on a very important issue to the country," he added.

But some of the bill’s critics have begun to speak up.

In an interview with the National Review, Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, suggested that speculation about a possible suspect in the bombings should prompt caution on immigration reform.

“Some of the speculation that has come out is that yes, it was a foreign national and, speculating here, that it was potentially a person on a student visa,” King said. “If that’s the case, then we need to take a look at the big picture.”

Related stories:
•First Thoughts: Politics take a backseat
•Details of sweeping Senate immigration plan revealed

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