Bush, Republicans clash over immigration bill

Dallas area high school students protest in front of the Dallas City Hall Monday in Dallas, Texas. Hispanic high school students from all over the Dallas area left school to stage rally protesting the immigration reform bill HR4437, which considers an unlawful presence in the US a felony, with undocumented immigrants facing potential jail term. PHOTO: AFP

A key Senate panel endorsed a bill Monday that would allow illegal workers to obtain visas, sending the legislation to the full Senate for a likely heated debate in an election year.

The House of Representatives in December passed its own immigration bill that would make illegal entry in the United States a crime and heavily penalize employers of undocumented workers, opening the floodwaters of protest in the Hispanic community.

On Monday, some 50,000 people marched through Detroit, Michigan, and 36,000 students walked out of high school classes in the Los Angeles region, where more than 500,000 people staged a rally at the weekend. More protests are planned.

Surprised by the outcry, Bush Monday said there had to be a "civil" debate about planned changes to immigration laws, which have caused new divisions between the White House and the Republican Party.

The struggling president renewed his call for a guest worker programme that would allow some undocumented workers to reside legally in the United States, putting him at odds with some Republicans who want to punish employers hiring illegal entrants.

At a swearing-in ceremony for dozens of new US citizens, Bush said the United States had been "enriched" by immigrants and remained a "welcoming society" that sought to encourage, rather than shun, immigration.

Bush's plan would allow many undocumented workers to register for legal status on a temporary basis, and ultimately, if they qualify, for US citizenship.

Senior Republican Party members remain divided over how to tackle immigration reform as opposition Democrats seek to win back control of Congress in November elections.

The divisions were highlighted Monday as the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-6 to endorse temporary guest worker legislation that would allow illegal immigrants to apply for a three-year work visa by paying fines and having a clean criminal record, among other conditions.

The bill would also pave the way for guest workers doing low-wage jobs shunned by many Americans to apply for citizenship.

Four Republicans joined eight senators in backing the bill, while the six "no" votes came from Republicans. The bill's opponents said it was equivalent to giving amnesty to people who broke the law by entering the country illegally.