Forget ‘Amnesty’: House plan would require illegals to ‘plead guilty’

Matt K. Lewis Senior Contributor
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A couple weeks ago, Greg Sargent reported on an immigration reform framework being hatched by a bipartisan group of House Members. “The plan,” Sargent noted, “would require undocumented immigrants to admit having broken U.S. laws and admit guilt (in a civil sense), and enter into a probationary phase, during which they’d have very similar legal rights to the ones they would have under the provisional legal status in the Senate bill.”

As we head into August recess, my Hill sources confirm this strategy is still in the works. What is more, they were even more blunt in characterizing the process, comparing it to the paying of reparations, and saying that undocumented immigrants would have to “plead guilty” and agree to enter a probationary phase (which would include paying a fine, holding a job, no welfare, etc.), or risk deportation. (Compliance with this probationary phase would be monitored by a task force.)

The plan would obviously address border security, and — as Sargent noted — would include a trigger stipulating that E-Verify “must be fully operational after five years. If it isn’t, all of those on probation would lose that status and revert to illegal status.”

Reached for comment, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart confirmed the basic framework, describing the idea as a way for illegal immigrants to “earn a way to get right with the law.”

Sources on the Hill believe this strategy has the best chance of winning the support of a coalition of House Democrats and Republicans who realize the immigration situation must be addressed, but also oppose granting “amnesty.”

Matt K. Lewis