Graham, other senators hope to break impasse

Blathnaid Healy, Washington Correspondent

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Lindsey Graham is part of a renewed effort to break an impasse on Capitol Hill and salvage legislation that would reform the nation's broken immigration system.

Graham has added his name to bills re-introduced by Sens. Chuck Hagel R-Neb., and Arlen Specter R-Pa.

The revised measures, similar to a compromise that collapsed in the Senate on April 7, could be considered and debated when senators return this week after Easter recess.

"We had a compromise that would have secured an overwhelming vote in the Senate," Graham said in a recent statement. "But Harry Reid (the Democratic leader) decided he would procedurally kill

the bill."

With the future of 12 million illegal immigrants at stake and a growing mass movement gaining national attention, Congress is under pressure to decide on a new immigration policy before the current session ends later this year.

The House of Representatives passed a bill in December that would make felons of undocumented workers and the people who employ, or help them. If the Senate eventually approves an immigration bill, it will still have to be reconciled with the House version.

The Senate debate, earlier this month, considered three broad options: granting illegal immigrants a path toward citizenship, sending them home, or enrolling them in a guest worker program.

Under the Specter-Hagel plan, immigrants in the U.S. for at least five years could apply for permanent residency and eventually citizenship. But those taking this path would have to pay a fine and back taxes, learn English and undergo a background check. Immigrants, in the country for two or three years, would have to have to leave and reenter the country as a temporary worker. Eventually they could apply for permanent residency. Immigrants here for fewer than two years would be forced to return to their country of origin and apply for a temporary worker program.

But with midterm elections on the horizon, the success of a renewed Senate effort is in doubt. Although the Specter and Hagel bills are virtually identical, they were introduced separately to provide more flexibility should procedural battles arise.

"I think it is likely that there will not be a compromise," said John Wahala, a spokesman for the Center for Immigration Studies, a research and education group that advocates for a border enforcement approach to reform.

"Congressmen will go back to their district and tell their constituents that they tried very hard, but because of extenuating political circumstance they didn't get anything through," he said.

The Republican Party is split on whether immigration reform should focus only on enforcing America's borders, or also offer eventual citizenship to illegal immigrants.

South Carolina's senators are divided on the specifics of a reform bill.

Graham supports strengthening U.S. borders, but also wants to give the illegal immigrants already here the chance of attaining citizenship.

The tourism and agricultural industries in South Carolina have become dependent on the immigrant workforce, Graham says.

Michele Waslin a spokeswoman at the National Council of La Raza, said Graham has been an "absolute hero of this debate. His no nonsense and practical tone has been important on pushing this forward."

La Raza is a Latino advocacy group

Sen. Jim DeMint R-S.C., is also supportive of a temporary worker program, but he doesn't want one that amounts to a grant of amnesty for illegals.

"The first step is to secure the borders, the second is to establish an effective legal temporary worker's program, and the third step is to deal with those who are here illegally," DeMint said.

DeMint would agree under certain circumstances to granting undocumented workers legal status, but not citizenship. "They should not be rewarded," he said.

In recent weeks South Carolinians have become quite vocal about the unresolved immigration debate, DeMint said.

"It's our number one issue. The majority of calls, letters and emails have been against amnesty for immigrants."

DeMint blames Democrats for the impasse in the Senate, arguing that the minority party refused to consider amendments that Republicans said would improve the compromise. When the Democrats wouldn't budge, the shaky deal fell apart.

At the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, President Bush is backing a guest worker program that would allow immigrants to enter the country on temporary visas, when jobs need to be filled.

Labor unions have another view. The AFL-CIO is strongly opposed to a guest worker program. Sonia Ramirez, legislative representative for the AFL-CIO, said that approach could lead to employer exploitation of immigrants.

Religious groups also have weighed in on the debate.

Kevin Appleby, spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the large pro-immigration rallies of recent weeks were the "surprise element" that got the attention of elected officials.

Appleby said politicians cannot afford to take Hispanics -- and potential voters --for granted. "You are talking 20 years down the line that you are going to have 12 to 15 million more voters," he said. "That can determine elections, to put it mildly."

But Wahala of the immigration center said Hispanic voters historically turn out in low numbers for elections. Besides, he said, the immigrant community itself is divided on the correct approach to reform.

In South Carolina, legislators like state Sen. Dick Elliot, D – Myrtle Beach, want Congress to deal with the vexing immigration problem.

Elliot, together with state Sen. David Thomas, R - Greenville, sponsored legislation that will bar illegal immigrants from gaining access to social services intended for legal residents and citizens. The bill received final approval earlier this month, but Elliot said the timing of the debate in Columbia was coincidental with the heated discussion going on in Washington.

"It is my opinion that they are illegal here," Elliot said. "So why should we share our services with them, whether it is social services, hospital services or anything else."

Elliot fears that the increasing demand for services from undocumented workers will eventually tax the state's social services system beyond endurance.

"Fast forward down the road 20 or 25 years, and they're beginning to get older," he said. "They are going to be taking up our nursing home beds."

Thomas said worker's compensation costs have already gone "through the roof." He added that his constituents in Greenville are alarmed at "at the large number of folks coming into the area that are not part of the culture," he said.

Yet he believes most immigrants come to this country with good intentions. "They want to work and provide better lives for themselves," he said.