In the first hearing on immigration reform in Congress this week, House Republicans indicated that they are open to a plan that would allow for legacy residency for the some 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the country. But they stopped short of agreeing to a plan that would include a pathway to citizenship.
While immigrant advocates are calling for one comprehensive immigration package, some House Republicans indicated that breaking up legislation into smaller bills would help to deal with individual immigrant groups differently, like legislation for farm workers, versus legislation for highly skilled workers.
Another thing that could be a potential wrench in any immigration plan: offering a legal residency to foreign nationals who are part of same-sex marriages, like Heather Morgan and Maria del Mar Verdugo, a bi-national same-sex couple.
Josh Treviño, conservative commentator and vice president for communications at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, explains what’s at the heart of the Republican strategy.
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