Comprehensive immigration reform bill takes shape – slowly

Comprehensive immigration reform bill takes shape – slowlyUndocumented immigrants are faced with both good news and bad at the moment.  On the positive side, reports are suggesting that there may be positive moves ahead for immigration reform in the days to come, and rights of citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States may finally start to be granted.

The bad news, however, is that the Democrats and Republicans seem to continue to be engaged in one-upmanship tactics and some Republicans are vehemently opposed to the idea of allowing President Obama and his party to make such a historic change to the immigration policy of the United States, in much the same way that they have been doing anything possible to block the healthcare reform.

Nonetheless, immigration reform continues to be alive and kicking even amidst the threat of a potential government shutdown, and reformers are hoping that the exit of two Republicans from the bipartisan group in the House of Representatives who were trying to craft their own immigration reform bill might just force the party’s leaders to step up to the plate and get involved.

Congressman Bob Goodlatte, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, says that Republicans have been looking at ways to legalize the nation’s millions of undocumented immigrants and that he wants to see some votes on the issue as early as October.  “I’m happy that he says he’s moving forward, that he’s looking for a bill that can go to conference,” says Democratic Congressman Luis Gutierrez.