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Coalition vows to defeat harsh immigration bill

Thursday, January 19, 2006 3:55 p.m. ET

By Alan Elsner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. coalition of business, labor unions and religious groups launched a campaign on Thursday to defeat a bill backed by Republicans that would turn some 11 million illegal immigrants into felons.

The coalition of 24 organizations, many of which rarely agree on politics or economics, denounced the bill passed by the House of Representatives last month and called on the Senate to enact legislation to include a guest worker program and a path for illegal aliens to gain legal status.

Immigration is likely to be one of the top issues facing lawmakers in this Congressional election year. The House bill reflects growing anger, especially among Republicans, about the U.S. government's inability to stem the flow of illegal immigrants from Mexico.

"We are extremely disappointed with the proposal that passed the House last month," said Thomas Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce which represents some 3 million businesses.

"It's an unworkable enforcement bill that fails to recognize the contributions of immigrants and our growing need for them in the future," he said.

Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, which has 1.8 million members, called for comprehensive reform to take control of the border and provided a way for illegal aliens to gain legal status.

"By establishing a legal, orderly process, we can bring immigrant workers in this country out of the shadows and under our laws, connect those workers with willing employers and allow our overburdened law enforcement and border patrols to focus on protecting Americans from those who might do us harm," he said.

Other groups joining the coalition include associations representing builders and contractors, health care providers, the hotel and restaurant industries, Latino organizations, farm workers, the American Jewish Committee and Catholic bishops.

The Senate is expected to take up immigration next month and is expected to produce a bill that differs widely with the House version and includes some form of guest worker program. The two versions would then have to be reconciled through negotiations

MAJOR GOAL FOR BUSH

President George W. Bush has identified immigration reform as one of his major goals for 2006. But the issue is politically tricky since it divides Republicans so deeply.

If he embraces legislation that includes amnesty for illegal migrants, he risks a Republican backlash. On the other hand, any legislation that is seen as too punitive toward aliens could alienate Hispanics who represent an important swing vote in the November congressional elections.

The bill that passed the House would vastly expand an employer verification system designed to weed illegal immigrants out of the workforce.

It would also increase civil and criminal penalties for knowingly hiring or employing an illegal worker. It envisioned building hundreds of miles (km) of new fences along the U.S.-Mexico border but included no provisions for people already in the country illegally to gain legal status.

Donohue said he backed a bipartisan proposal put forward by Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain and Massachusetts Democrat Edward Kennedy under which illegal immigrants could apply for temporary work permits that could last for six years. They would have to clear criminal background checks, pass an English language test and pay a $2,000 fee to qualify.

At the end of the six years, they and their families could apply for permanent resident status, and five years later for citizenship.