Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Jamelle Bouie reports at the Washington Post, “Gang of Eight” reaches immigration deal. But will GOP take it?:
According to the New York Times, the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” has reached an agreement on a comprehensive immigration reform plan.
By and large, the bill doesn’t depart from the framework established
by President Obama and seconded by Marco Rubio, among others. It
establishes a provisional status for unauthorized immigrants who who
pass background checks and fulfill other requirements, such as paying
fines and back taxes to the federal government. It also requires them to
wait ten years before they can apply for green cards, a change from
Obama’s plan, which proposed an eight year wait.
This is broadly in line with public opinion. According to the latest poll
from NBC News and the Wall Street Journal, 64 percent of Americans
support a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants, a number that
jumps to 76 percent when a proposed pathway includes fines, penalties,
and a background check. It should be said, however, that few Americans
support the long timeline for citizenship —18 percent say
unauthorized immigrants should be immediately eligible for citizenship
if they have jobs, while 51 percent say they should be eligible have
jobs and have been in the country for five years. Only 12 percent agree
with the “Gang of Eight” that ten years is necessary before citizenship
can become an option.