Senate immigration-bill efforts stall

WASHINGTON — The Senate's immigration-overhaul effort ground to a halt Friday and lawmakers left for a two-week recess, leaving the legislation's fate in doubt and a decision on whether to move millions of illegal workers into legal status unsettled.

Both sides in the debate said any progress may depend on events in the next several weeks, particularly scheduled street demonstrations scheduled for coming days in Washington, Los Angeles and other cities.

"I think the demonstrations that occurred in the past have been noticed," said Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., co-author of the compromise Senate proposal. But he noted some lawmakers were offended by protesters waving Mexican flags and expressed hope the upcoming demonstrations will not be "divisive."

Both sides expressed a determination to press ahead when Congress returns April 24, but neither side proposed a way to break the deadlock.

"We had an agreement. That agreement would have gotten 65 to 70 votes and that's not going away," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a leading supporter of legalizing illegal immigrants.

Republicans blamed the impasse on Democrats, accusing them of not permitting debate on amendments to the compromise. Democrats blamed Republicans, accusing them of offering amendments that might completely change the legislation.

"Talk to the Democrats," said Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn. "We had a solution in hand. They thwarted it."

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., countered, "There is a very strong faction in the Republican Party that doesn't want to see a bill."

The Senate bill's progress was halted amid a disagreement on whether to allow a relatively unfettered amendment process on the Senate floor. Republicans wanted to offer numerous amendments, but many Democrats feared that if too many changes were made the legislation would be fatally weakened.

Ultimately, the Senate voted 60-38 against allowing the compromise package to move to the floor for debate.

"In the end, it came down to trust," said a senior Democratic leadership aide who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The compromise arrived at late Wednesday would establish a guest-worker program and provisions to put nearly 10 million illegal immigrants on a path toward permanent legal status, while requiring those in the country two years or less to return home.

It also would toughen enforcement and border security, boosting fines on the employers of illegal immigrants and adding up to 14,000 border-patrol agents in the next five years.

The House bill approved in December would make it a felony to be in the United States without a valid visa and would make it a felony to offer humanitarian assistance to an illegal immigrant.

Material from Knight Ridder Newspapers and the Chicago Tribune is included in this report.