>> >>PEGGY: THE SENATE'S IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL CRAFTED BY THE U.S. SENATE'S GANG OF
EIGHT OFFERS PATHWAYS TO CITIZENSHIP FOR THE ESTIMATED 11�MILLION PEOPLE LIVING IN THE
U.S. WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATION.
FRONTERAS DESK REPORTER JILL REPLOGLE IS HERE TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS BILL.
YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS FOR SOME TIME.
TELL US ABOUT THIS GANG OF EIGHT, WHO ARE THEY AND WHAT'S THEIR TASK?
>> >>JILL: THE BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS LEAD BE JOHN MCCAIN, CHUCK SHEUMER, MARCO
RUBIO, THE REPUBLICAN SORT OF DREAM BY POSSIBLE FUTURE CANDIDATE SIN THAT GROUP.
AND THEY GOT INPUT FROM ALL DIFFERENT SECTORS ON A VERY COMPREHENSIVE 844 PAGE IMMIGRATION
REFORM BILL.
>> >>PEGGY: IT'S HUGE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT.
BUT I DID WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE SPECIFIC NUTS AND BOLTS OF IT.
WHAT DOES THE BILL OFFER TO UNAUTHORIZED IMMIGRANTS WHO HAVE BEEN LIVING IN THIS COUNTRY FOR QUITE
SOME TIME?
>> >>JILL: THAT'S THE BIGGEST GROUP, POTENTIALLY 11�MILLION PEOPLE.
THE FIRST STEP IS TO CREATE SOMETHING CALLED PROVISIONAL LEGAL STATUS AND THAT WILL ALLOW
PEOPLE TO GET ALLOW THEM TO WORK AND TRAVEL IN ORDER TO GET THAT YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE
COUNTRY BEFORE JANUARY�12012, YOU NEED TO PAY BACK TAXES, THOUSAND DOLLAR FINE AND YOU
CAN'T HAVE ANYTHING SERIOUS ON YOUR CRIMINAL RECORD.
>> >>PEGGY: SO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE, DEFINITELY, AS THEY PUT IT.
IF ALL THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE MET, THEN WHAT HAPPENED?
>> >>JILL: THEN AFTER 10 YEARS THEY CAN APPLY FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCY.
THEY NEED TO LEARN ENGLISH, PAY A FINE, AND THEN THEY CAN APPLY FOR A GREEN CARD.
>> >>PEGGY: THEN AFTER THAT 10YEAR RESIDENCY, THEY HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER THREE YEARS BEFORE
APPLIES FOR THEIR PERMANENT RESIDENCY?
>> >>JILL: ANOTHER THREE YEARS TO APPLY FOR CITIZENSHIP.
>> >>PEGGY: TELL US ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO APPLY FOR CITIZENSHIP.
>> >>JILL: YOU NEED TO KNOW ENGLISH, TAKE THE CITIZENSHIP TEST, BE IN GOOD MORAL STANDING,
AND.
>> >>PEGGY: NOT BE A FELON.
>> >>JILL: NOT BE A FELON, BUT THEY ALSO DO AN INTERVIEW.
ONE OF THE ACCUSED BOSTON BOMBERS DID NOT PASS THAT PART OF HIS CITIZENSHIP, THAT'S
WHY HE DID NOT HAVE HIS CITIZENSHIP.
HE DID NOT PASS THE GOOD MORAL STANDING PART OF THE EVALUATION.
>> >>PEGGY: THERE'S SOME OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS FOR IMMIGRANTS IN THIS BILL THAT THEY'D BE
AFFECTED BY IT.
WHO ARE THESE IMMIGRANTS THAT THIS SORT OF SPECIAL CATEGORY?
>> >>JILL: ONE IS AGRICULTURAL WORKERS F.YOU ARE CURRENTLY AN AGRICULTURAL WORKER IN THE
COUNTRY ILLEGALLY, YOU CAN APPLY FOR A BLUE CARD, PROVISIONAL STATUS.
THEY HAVE A QUICKER PATH TO BECOME RESIDENT, A FIVE HF YEAR PATH.
>> >>PEGGY: WHAT ABOUT HIGHLY SKILLED WORKERS?
>> >>JILL: HIGHSKILLED WORKERS, THEY'RE DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF VISAS FOR HIGHSKILLED WORKERS,
I THINK IT'S AROUND 110 THOUSAND THE FIRST YEAR.
THEY'RE ENGINEERS, COMPUTER SCIENTISTS, MATHEMATICIANS, PEOPLE THAT YOUR SILICON VALLEY INDUSTRIES
ARE LOOKING TO HIRE.
>> >>PEGGY: WE SAW A GROUP CALLED THE DREAMERS, CAPITAL DREAM, WHO ARE THEY.
>> >>JILL: CHILDREN BROUGHT HOAR BY THEIR PARENTS UNDER THE AGE OF 16 WHO GRADUATED
HIGH SCHOOL HERE.
THEY WILL ALSO HAVE AN ACCELERATED PATH.
>> >>PEGGY: AS IN SUPER FAST?
>> >>JILL: FIVE YEARS.
>> >>PEGGY: WHAT'S HAPPENED TO THE BILL, WHERE DOES IT STAND NOW?
>> >>JILL: THIS EARLY THIS WEEK THE SENATE JUDICIARY HAD VERY EXTENSIVE HEARINGS, I THINK
EIGHT HOURS ON MONDAY, WENT NO N TO TUESDAY AND I BELIEVE WEDNESDAY AS WELL.
HASHING OUT A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT HAVE COME UP THE BOSTON BOMBING THREW A HUGE WRENCH
IN THIS AND THERE ARE PEOPLE CALLING FOR HOLDING OFF UNTIL THEY GET THE COUNTRY SECURE.
OTHERS ARE SAYING THAT REFORMING THE WAY THAT WE KEEP TRACK OF PEOPLE ON VISAS IN THIS COUNTRY
WOULD HELP, ACTUALLY.
>> >>PEGGY: DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO PASS IN THE SENATE AND IN THE HOUSE?
>> >>JILL: THE PEOPLE WHO AUTHORED THE BILL, THE SENATORS WHO AUTHORED THE BILL THINK THEY
HAVE ENOUGH VOTES TO PASS IN THE SENATE.
THE HOUSE IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT BALL OF WAX.
THE HOUSE MAY PREVENT ONE VERSION OF THE BILL TODAY AND THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WORKING ON
PIECE MILL PARTS OF IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL IN THE HOUSE.
>> >>PEGGY: WHAT DOES PRESIDENT OBAMA SAY ABOUT THE BILL IN THE HOUSE OR THE ONE IN
THE HOUSE?
>> >>JILL: PRESIDENT OBAMA WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT ALL ONE BILL ALL TOGETHER BECAUSE THE CONCERN
IS THAT A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP MIGHT NOT MAKE IT INTO A MORE PEACEFUL BECAUSE THAT'S
THE REAL CONTROVERSIAL PART.
HE'S GIVEN SUPPORT TO THE BILL THE SENATEORS PROPOSED AND SAID HE WOULD SUPPORT THAT EFFORT.
>> >>PEGGY: THANKS FOR THAT UP.
KPBS FRONTERAS DESK REPORTER JILL REPLOGLE.