Senators from both sides of the aisle have agreed to the outlines of a sweeping immigration deal.
The immigration overhaul agreement includes a path to citizenship, visas for immigrants with advanced degrees in science, and a guest worker program for low-skill and agricultural workers. The deal is contingent on securing the border, tracking those with visas, and an employment verification system to ensure that illegal immigrants are not hired.
The deal will be announced Monday afternoon in a press conference.
The eight senators who will likely endorse the bill are Democrats Charles Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Michael Bennet of Colorado; and Republicans John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marco Rubio of Florida, and Jeff Flake of Arizona.
“What’s changed, honestly, is that there is a new, I think, appreciation on both sides of the aisle—including maybe more importantly on the Republican side of the aisle—that we have to enact a comprehensive immigration reform bill,” McCain said Sunday on ABC. “I think the time is right.”
The legislation is yet to be written, so the thorny details are far from resolved, but if completed, would be the most significant reform of the nation’s inefficient immigration laws. The president is expected to speak in Nevada on Tuesday to lay out his vision, which will reportedly overlap on key issues with the Senate effort.
The election saw record-breaking Latino turnout, which many said would force the issue of immigration as Democrats worked to maintain their strong lead with Latinos and the Republican party acts to remain relevant with the growing demographic.
Jane Timm