Immigration debate could open with reintroducing bill from last year

Published: 2007-05-14

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- As the Senate prepared to open two weeks of debate on immigration reform legislation in mid-May despite lacking a bill around which to shape the discussion, Catholic and other immigration advocates were troubled by some of the proposals they had heard. After no viable bill seemed to be on the horizon despite months of behind-the-scenes negotiation among Senate Democrats, Republicans and the White House, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said May 11 that he was prepared to reintroduce a bill approved by the Senate last year as a starting point. That bill died at the close of the 109th Congress in December after negotiators failed to reconcile it with a vastly different immigration bill approved by the House. Kevin Appleby, director of migration and refugee policy for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he is particularly troubled by proposals he has seen for a new immigration bill that would change the basis for preference in immigration from reuniting family members to favoring employment-based visa applications.

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