Deal on Immigration Reached

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) expressed serious concerns about the temporary-worker provision and the family migration structure in a tepid response to the deal. Sen. Robert Menendez (N.J.), a key Democrat on the issue, refused to sign the deal he had helped negotiate for months.

And Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), a White House hopeful, warned that "the proposed bill could devalue the importance of family reunification, replace the current group of undocumented immigrants with a new undocumented population consisting of guest workers who will overstay their visas, and potentially drive down wages of American workers."

Conservatives were no less skeptical. The immigration overhaul that passed the Senate last year identified three categories of illegal immigrants, based on the length of time they had been in the country, and would have granted immediate legal status only to those who had been here the longest. Others would have had to return home or would have faced deportation.

This year's legislation would grant undocumented workers who came into the country before January a permit to remain. They could then apply for a new, four-year "Z Visa," renewable indefinitely, as long as they pay a $5,000 fine, a $1,500 processing fee, show a clean work record and pass a criminal background check.

The new bill's authors "seem to think that they can dupe the American public into accepting a blanket amnesty if they just call it 'comprehensive' or 'earned legalization' or 'regularization,' " said Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), a presidential candidate who is a strong opponent of illegal immigration. "The president is so desperate for a legacy and a domestic policy win that he is willing to sell out the American people and our national security."

Bush has wanted to include immigration changes to his legacy since he was governor of Texas. And it is one of a few issues in which he has been willing to buck key factions in his party to achieve a compromise. At one point, Bush had been hopeful that the issue would lead to a realignment of American politics, with more Hispanics joining the Republican Party.

White House officials viewed yesterday's breakthrough as a sign that the president can still have an impact on domestic policy despite the poisoned relations between the administration and congressional Democrats over Iraq. It was the second major bipartisan deal struck by Bush in the past week, following a deal with House Democrats last Friday to move ahead with several free-trade pacts.

But the deal is far from done. The compromise's authors asked both sides to consider the alternative. With an election year approaching, Democrats and Republicans said the coming weeks offer the last window of opportunity for Congress to act. If the bill fails, an immigration system that both sides see as hopelessly broken would go unremedied for years.

"Year after year, we've heard talk about reforming our system. We've heard the bumper-sticker solutions, the campaign ads, and we know how divisive it is," Kennedy said. "Well, now, it is time for action. 2007 is the year we must fix our broken system."

Staff writer Michael Abramowitz contributed to this report.