Agricultural Personnel Management Program
University of California

WASHINGTON -- The suffocation of 18 illegal immigrants as they were smuggled into Texas this week inspired lawmakers to jumpstart long stalled talks over legislative remedies, but few steps were taken to bridge vastly different views over how to proceed.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Senate subcommittee with jurisdiction over immigration policy said he intends to push for a tighter border security and a guest-worker program, similar to that championed by his predecessor, GOP Sen. Phil Gramm.

"We've got to do something to address immigration policy in this country and do it soon," Cornyn said Thursday. He said creating a guest-worker program would create a legal avenue for Latin Americans to enter the country, "instead of submitting to heartless and cruel mercenaries."

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, the ranking Democrat on the House immigration subcommittee, said she is drafting legislation to toughen laws against immigrant smuggling.

Congress and the White House reacted to the tragedy in Texas with disgust and promises of action. Many lawmakers said it was time to rekindle immigration reform promises President Bush made to Mexican President Vicente Fox nearly two years ago.

The White House, however, has given no indication that it is ready to do so. Lawmakers and experts say little can be achieved without the president's involvement.

Promises of amnesty for certain illegal immigrants and prospects for a guest worker program -- providing a legal path for workers to meet the United States' low-wage labor needs -- disintegrated on Sept. 11, 2001.

Before terrorists attacked New York and Washington, anti-immigration conservatives were quieted by a popular president from Texas who spoke Spanish and understood first-hand the complexities of U.S. immigration policies.

The political climate after the attacks became, perhaps, the worst it ever has been for illegal immigrants. Instead of proposals to help them gain citizenship, laws were passed to tighten U.S. border security and track down illegal immigrants from the Mideast.

Making matters more complicated, Mexico angered U.S. policymakers by refusing to support the U.S.-led war against Iraq.

"Their refusal to get on board with us on Iraq is an issue we have to address, but does that mean that all of a sudden we stand up an slap them in the face? I don't think so," said Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration.

Chambliss said he and Sen. Edward Kennedy -- the leading Democrat on immigration issues -- began immigration policy discussions Thursday morning.

Immigration experts say it will be extremely difficult for Congress to pass the radical measures needed to discourage immigrant smuggling. That is largely because Democrats and Republicans agree on very little when it comes to immigration.

Democrats want amnesty for illegal immigrants who are longtime U.S. residents and Republicans want to help businesses get cheap labor but don't want to reward those who are in the country illegally. The best prospect for legislation is in the Senate, where lawmakers with moderate views and limited hope for immigration reform agree that, at the very least, some kind of guest worker program is needed. Senators from both parties are also now talking about policies that would allow immigrants to earn citizenship, or permanent resident status.

But the situation in the House is very different. Strong anti-immigration sentiments are fanned by conservatives who want to reduce the number of immigrants allowed in the country.

And last week, the House International Relations Committee added a provision to the State Department reauthorization bill -- which sets parameters for U.S. foreign policy -- that infuriated Mexicans.

The provision, which is nonbinding, gave the signal that Mexico would not get an immigration agreement until it opened its state-owned oil industry to U.S. investment. Fox angrily responded over the weekend that such an energy-immigration trade-off was unacceptable.

Such a provision, if approved by Congress, would complicate attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration laws.

"We're still neighbors," said Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston. "I don't think you can tie business access to immigration."