Before the U.S. Senate recessed on April 7th for two weeks, members could not agree on an immigration reform compromise bill.  Senators were unable to resolve differences over the number of amendments that would be allowed for debate (many of the amendments would seriously alter the nature of, and thus support for, the compromise bill), and who would represent the Senate in the Conference Committee, where the notable differences between the House and Senate migration reform legislation would need to be resolved.  

The compromise bill included:

1)       Those here 5 years or longer would be allowed to remain in the United States and work six years before applying for a green card.

2)       Those here for 2-5 years would be required to work in a temporary worker program and visit a port of entry once during a three-year period.  They would be allowed to apply for a green card from a new supply of green cards and could adjust to permanent residency within 8-10 years.

3)       Those here 0-2 years would have to return home and re-enter through the temporary worker program, which would be capped at 325,000 a year.

4)       The compromise would also contain the AgJOBS bill, legalizing up to 1.5 million farmworkers, and the DREAM Act, legalizing undocumented students.  In addition, Title V of the compromise would reduce backlogs in family immigration categories significantly over the next five years.

5)       There remain some harsh enforcement provisions in the legislation which need to be addressed, including mandatory detention along the border, expedited removal, and passport fraud provisions.   We hope some of these may be addressed during the Senate amendment process.  Click here to urge your U.S. Senators to support comprehensive immigration reform.