Bipartisan immigration reform plan announced

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Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) have laid out the framework for a comprehensive, bi-partisan immigration reform bill that would include tougher border enforcement, a path to legalization for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants and the creation of biometric Social Security cards to ensure illegal workers cannot get jobs in the future.

The announcement of the bi-partisan plan, which brought immediate praise from President Obama, comes days before a pro-immigration march scheduled for the nation’s capital on Sunday.

”It thoughtfully addresses the need to shore up our borders, and demands accountability from both workers who are here illegally and employers who game the system,” Obama said in a prepared statement. “A critical next step will be to translate their framework into a legislative proposal, and for Congress to act at the earliest possible opportunity.”

The plan includes four basic pillars, including the creation of biometric Social Security cards to ensure illegal workers cannot get jobs in the future; fulfilling and strengthening border security and interior enforcement; creating a process for admitting temporary workers; and implementing a tough but fair path to legalization for those already here.

-Anna Gorman