Tens of thousands of undocumented Irish immigrants in America have seen hopes of an early change in their legal status slip away as a senate deal on immigration reform collapsed yesterday, writes Denis Staunton in Washington.
Hours after Republicans and Democrats said they had agreed a compromise that would give most of America's estimated 11 million illegal immigrants the chance to become US citizens, the agreement unravelled amid acrimonious exchanges.
The senate adjourned yesterday for a two-week recess but it could be months before immigration returns to its agenda and some senators said it was now unlikely that any reform will be approved this year.
"All through the day yesterday people were calling me literally in tears. They were so happy that finally they felt they were going to be able to travel to Ireland, to get a driver's licence and live like normal people. That was then taken away from them, which was a shattering experience," Niall O'Dowd, chairman of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, told The Irish Times.
Republicans blamed Democrats for not allowing the senate to consider amendments to the reform bill agreed on Thursday but Democrats said conservative Republicans were trying to filibuster.
Republican senator John McCain, who co-sponsored with Democrat Edward Kennedy the bill that formed the basis of Thursday's deal, said there were enough votes to defeat the conservative amendments.
"There is no amendment that could pass . . . The Democrats obviously feel this is some sort of political advantage. Nobody has ever seen a major piece of legislation on the floor like this without any amendments . . . It is a disgrace," he said.
Democratic senate leader Harry Reid said the Republican amendments were designed to drag out the debate so that no immigration bill would be passed.
"The amendments were being offered by people who didn't want the bill. The majority must explain to the American people why they are permitting a filibuster of immigration, a filibuster by amendment," he said.
The proposal that was shelved yesterday would have introduced the most sweeping reform of America's immigration laws for two decades, strengthening security along the border with Mexico but giving most illegal immigrants a chance to regularise their legal status.
Undocumented immigrants in the US for more than five years would have been able to stay and earn citizenship if they paid a $2,000 (€1,642) fine, settled all back taxes and stayed in work for 11 years.
Those who had been in the US for less than five years, but more than two, would have had three years to apply for a temporary work visa, which they would have to retrieve at an official point of entry outside the US. After that time, they would be eligible for a green card and could apply for citizenship.
Those in the US for less than two years would have had to return home and go through normal channels if they wanted to return to the US.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will resume discussion of the immigration bill on April 27th, but it is not clear when the issue will return to the senate floor.
In Los Angeles last week, 500,000 people demonstrated in support of immigrants in a march that was bigger than any civil rights or Vietnam War protest during the 1960s and 1970s. Millions of people are expected to take part in pro-immigrant rallies in more than 60 American cities next Monday, a day of action Mr O'Dowd described as very important.
"I expect there will be massive numbers at that . . . Nobody can walk away from the fact that there are 11 million undocumented immigrants in America," he said.