With big labor and big business having managed to reach a deal as to a political framework for overhauling the immigration laws in the United States, the lawmakers who are coming up with bipartisan legislation are trying to get down to the intricate details while keeping the political flanks of their parties suitably mollified.
Labor and business negotiators have managed to agree on a deal to allow thousands of low-skilled workers to come into the United States and give them fair wages, something that was the final big sticking point before the deal goes back to the “Gang of Eight” senators – four of whom are from the Democrats and four from the Republicans – to sign off in regards to the details and then propose the legislation. They are hoping to set into motion what would be the most dramatic alterations to the immigration system in the United States in more than 20 years.
“There are a few details yet,” says Republican Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina, “but conceptually we have an agreement between business and labor, between ourselves that has to be drafted.”
The senators’ plan would secure the US border, offer a new class of US visas for low-skilled workers, improve legal immigration, crack down on employers and offer a 13-year pathway to citizenship for the approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants believed to be currently living in the country. The senators are reportedly planning to introduce their framework next week.