Immigration Reform News: Gang Of Eight Bill Ready And House 'Gang' Preparing Own Bill; When Will Immigration Reform Pass?

The "Gang of Eight", a bipartisan group of senators assigned to prepare the immigration reform bill, have finally wrapped up their work, according to the AP. The final roadblocks -- renovated programs for farm workers and high-tech workers -- have apparently been overcome. But the bill is expected to hit fierce opposition from both sides of the aisle, and ABC News reported that a secret "Gang of Eight" in the House of Representatives is now working on a separate immigration bill.

The Gang of Eight's legislation, if passed, would require all employers to verify the legal status of their workers, boost border security and provide a 13-year-long path to citizenship for many of the nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants.

All this week, rallies were held in cities across the United States in support of immigration reform. The most well-attended took place in Washington, DC., with tens of thousands of people reported as having shown up.

Members of the Republican Party were expected to oppose the bill for providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already in the United States. But the bill may now face considerable opposition from Democrats and immigrant rights groups for its inclusion of a cutoff date of December 31, 2011. Undocumented immigrants who arrived after that date would not be eligible for legal status and citizenship. This provision is expected to disqualify hundreds of thousands of the nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Border security has been an important sticking point in the negotiations, with Republicans insisting that the border be considered secure before a path to citizenship be made available to the undocumented. According to the AP, the legislation -- as it currently stands -- will call for surveillance of 100 percent of the U.S.-Mexico border and 90 percent effectiveness in stopping people trying to illegally enter the U.S. before they manage to do so.

Republican Senator from Alabama Jeff Sessions said he believed the bill would ensure that millions get amnesty, while border enforcement wouldn't happen in reality.

"This is also why it is so troubling that (Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.) has rejected the GOP request for multiple hearings and that members of the Gang of Eight have publicly announced their intention to oppose any amendments," said Sessions in a statement on Thursday. "To proceed along these lines is tantamount to an admission that the bill is not workable and will not withstand public scrutiny."

Other stipulations of the bill will be that immigrants have a clean criminal record and proof of employment or a degree of financial stability sufficient to keep them from requiring welfare payments.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider the bill on Wednesday, and the week of May 6, it will begin to amend and vote on the bill before it moves to the Senate floor.

The last motion toward sweeping immigration reform came in 2007, when a bill came to the Senate floor but failed to pass.