Obama pressures GOP with own immigration plan

President Obama upped the ante on the immigration reform showdown with Republicans, vowing to present his own bill to Congress if the GOP refuses to compromise — a move hailed by political pundits and reform advocates as a savvy maneuver to keep the backing of crucial Latino voters.

“As the election showed, the Democrats have their boot on the neck of the Republicans,” said Maurice Cunningham of the University of Massachusetts Boston. “Why let up?”

A bipartisan group of eight lawmakers has been working on an immigration plan for the past few weeks. Yesterday, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough warned those lawmakers their time is limited.


“We will be prepared with our own plan if these ongoing talks between Republicans and Democrats up on Capitol Hill break down,” McDonough said in one of several interviews on Sunday talk shows after news of the president’s alternative plan leaked.

The administration’s proposal would create a visa for those in the country illegally and allow them to become legal permanent residents within eight years. The proposal also requires businesses to know the immigration status of their workers and adds more funding for border security.

It drew immediate criticism from U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), one of the eight lawmakers on the immigration panel. “If actually proposed, the president’s bill would be dead on arrival in Congress,” Rubio said.

Local activist groups yesterday praised Obama.

“It’s a good day. It shows leadership and it shows he’s really trying to provide leadership,” said Eva A. Millona, head of the Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. “But we’re optimistic both parties are serious to get this done.”

The president is seizing on a key moment, agreed Alejandra St. Guillen, executive director of Oiste, a Latino civic education organization.

“I don’t know what other option he had,” St. Guillen said. “Right after the election we had Republicans talking about immigration reform. In a sense, the White House might have thought this was the right time.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Obama's pathway to legalization is surprisingly new, shows a willingness to compromise, and is even similar to Rubio's visa idea for DREAMERS. Rubio is just trying to devalue Obama's efforts.

Rubio doesn't even have the text for any bill. This is just like his whole DREAM Act talk of last year -- too much water drinking and not enough bill writing.