Immigration Setback for GOP

In a setback to Republican-led efforts to promote an enforcement-only approach to overhauling immigration law, a congressional negotiating committee on Monday shunted aside several measures the House passed last week.

With Congress rushing to tie up loose ends by week’s end so lawmakers can recess to campaign for the November elections, the committee balked at attaching the provisions to a “must-pass” bill to fund the Homeland Security Department next fiscal year. The tactic would have deprived the full Senate and House of a vote on separate items, some of which are controversial.

The measures included one that would increase the number of federal prosecutors assigned to help crack down on smugglers of illegal immigrants.

Another would encourage state and local police to enforce immigration laws more strictly. Advocates promoted this measure as necessary to overcome reluctance that local authorities often have expressed about getting involved in immigration cases lest people be discouraged from reporting crimes.

The committee did move forward on a provision that would make the construction of border tunnels a crime, agreeing to add it to the Homeland Security bill. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) sponsored identical legislation that would slap 20-year prison terms on those who build tunnels under the northern or southern border.

Separately, the Senate is expected later this week to debate and vote on a House bill that would mandate a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. The outcome of the vote remains uncertain.

On another front, House Republican leaders are pressing for lawmakers to add an immigration measure to defense-policy legislation -- another “must-pass” bill.

The proposal would make it easier for federal officials to detain and deport illegal immigrants believed to be gang members.

House Speaker R. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) has threatened to block the defense bill unless that immigration provision is attached to it.

Hastert and the GOP’s other House leaders have sought to make securing the border and strengthening enforcement of immigration laws a major campaign issue.

They have emphasized pursuing those goals first -- in contrast to the Senate legislation, which along with enforcement provisions includes creation of a guest-worker program and establishes a path to citizenship for many illegal immigrants.

President Bush has endorsed much of the Senate approach, but the two chambers have been unable even to begin negotiations on a compromise.

Rather than negotiate, the House held national hearings in the summer to win public support for its approach.

On Monday, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) expressed hope that the sweeping rewrite of immigration law envisioned by the Senate and Bush could be accomplished in a “lame duck” session -- the window between lawmakers’ return to Washington after November’s elections and the start of the next Congress in January.

A comprehensive overhaul “is more doable in the lame duck session than it is” now because compromise is more likely after the elections, Gregg said.

Gregg added that Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who heads the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has oversight on immigration, was key to blocking the House attempts to push a variety of immigration measures onto the Homeland Security spending bill.

“Sen. Specter has been very specific that he wants to do a comprehensive bill” on immigration, Gregg said.

Much of the measure already is devoted to immigration matters. More than $21 billion of the bill’s $34.8 billion in funding would pay for enforcing immigration laws and border security -- a reflection of the political importance surrounding these concerns.

The funds include $2.7 billion to add 1,500 Border Patrol agents, to reach a total of 14,800 in the 2007 fiscal year.

Just over $1 billion has been set aside for border fencing, vehicle barriers, ground sensors and other infrastructure.

The bill also would finance an expansion of detention facilities to help federal officials end “catch and release” -- the practice of freeing illegal immigrants because of a lack of space to confine them.

And more than $28 million is budgeted to fund a program that teaches state and local authorities how to enforce immigration laws.

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nicole.gaouette@latimes.com