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IMMIGRATIONSee theChronology

June 15,2013

Will Congress reform the nation's immigration laws this year?

The political winds may have shifted on the divisive, long-stalled issue of immigration reform. In June the Senate began considering a bipartisan bill that would bolster border security while providing a path to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants. Many observers attribute the change to the growing clout of the Hispanic electorate, which voted overwhelmingly for President Obama in November, and to recent polls showing support for citizenship for some immigrants . Although migration from Mexico has fallen since 2007, the 2010 Census found that Latinos represented more than half of the U.S. population growth during the previous decade, most of it in the West and South. Six states, mostly in those two regions, have passed tough

anti-immigration laws recently, but 21 others are considering relaxing access to college or drivers ' licenses for undocumentedimmigrants.

As thousands of people of different ages and ethnicities gathered in front of the U.S. Capitol on April 10, the message was clear on the waving signs, in the hopeful chants and in the name of the rally itself:"The Time isNow."

The boisterous rally, one of several held that day around the country, was organized to push for congressional action to allow the 11 million immigrants who arrived here illegally to stay in the United States and eventually become citizens. The optimistic tone was a sign of how the political winds appear to have shifted on an issue that has Jong divided the nation.

For years, fierce resistance among some Americans hasblocked

congressional efforts to consider allowing those who arrived in the country Delegate Antonia Gonzalez of without proper documentation to stay. But in June the Senate began work Seattle sports a "Latinos for

on major immigration reform, a shift many political analysts say is a direct Obama" hat at the Democratic result of the overwhelming Hispanic vote in the 2012 election for PresidentNational Convention in Charlotte,

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21.The so-called "Gang of Eight" bill would strengthen border security,

requiring that within five years the Department of Homeland Security set

up a system to monitor the entire southern U.S. border and catch 90 percent of the people crossing illegally in designated "high-risk"sectors.

The measure would create more temporary work visas in certain fields, including high-tech and agriculture , while eventually eliminating the number of visas available for some relatives of U.S. citizens. The legislation also would speed up implementation of the government's "e-verify" online employee-checking system and require businesses to use it to make sure hires are legal residents. Companies that fail to use the system or continue to employ workers in the country illegally would face penalties, including fines that would vary depending on the violation .3

But the heart of the bill is a 13-year path to citizenship that would be available to most unauthorized immigrants once border-security plans are in place. Applicants would have to have arrived before Jan. 1, 2012, pay a

$1,000 fine along with federal back taxes, learn English, pass a criminal background check and remain

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If they did so, they would face a 10-year probationary period before they could apply for a green card, making them eligible for citizenship three years later. Younger immigrants brought to the United States before age 16 who meet standards suggested in an earlier proposal , known as the Dream Act, would be eligible for a green card in five years and citizenship immediately afterwards . 5

Debate by the full Senate, which began on June 11, promises to be lengthy. Some conservative lawmakers have denounced the proposal as "amnesty" for those who arrived illegally. Even if the legislation passes the Senate it faces a rougher road in the Republican-dominated House, where opposition to any path to citizenship isstronger.

Organizations that helped defeat reform in 2007, when President George W. Bush pushed for major immigration changes, believe the Senate bill faces a similar fate once the public learns more about it. "If you ask people, would you rather see America enforce the laws that are on the books or do you want to have a legalization program, the American people choose enforcement." says Rosemary Jenks, government relations director for NumbersUSA , an Arlington , Va.-based organization that favors immigration reduction.

But advocates of allowing most immigrants who arrived illegally to stay in the country are optimistic the nation's mood has changed. "Ithink we're in a stronger position than we've been in many, many years." says Angela Kelley, vice president for Immigration Policy and Advocacy at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning Washington thinktank.

Political analysts note that evangelical churches , a key part of the Republican coalition, recently have taken a more accommodating tone concerning undocumented immigrants, and even some public officials who have been at the forefront of pushing to remove immigrants who had arrived illegally, such as Republican Arizona

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Gov. Jan Brewer, have tempered their rhetoric since the 2012 presidential election.

"There are signs that people are sort of saying, 'Whoa, maybe we've gone too far:" says Mary Giovagnoli,

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