House OKs Extension of Immigration Deadline

Three weeks after a temporary immigration program ended amid a surge of hurried weddings by people hoping to become legal U.S. residents, the House voted Monday to offer applicants a four-month grace period.

The legislation, which now goes to the Senate, was approved by a lopsided margin, 336 to 43. And pressure was building for a longer extension as Democrats--joined by some Senate Republicans and the White House--warned that four months would not be enough.

At issue is a lapsed section of the immigration law known as 245(i), under which certain illegal immigrants were allowed to stay with their families in the U.S. while they applied for green cards. Through April 30, the immigrants had been allowed to pay a $1,000 penalty and apply for green cards in the U.S. if they were otherwise eligible for U.S. residency.

Without such a law, illegal immigrants typically are forced to return to their home countries to apply for U.S. residency, and they can be barred from returning to the United States for as long as a decade. The law kindled hopes of immigrants around the country that they could legalize their status quickly--aided by a quick marriage or a sponsoring employer--without the worry and expense of a trip back to their native lands.

The measure approved by the House would allow an estimated 200,000 people who were unable to file their paperwork by April 30 another four months to do so.

Earlier this month, after federal immigration offices were swamped by applicants, President Bush recommended extending the law, which experts say could help more than 600,000 immigrants who entered the country illegally. Bush at the time did not say how long the extension should be. But on Monday, White House spokeswoman Jeane Mamo told Associated Press that the president favors a period longer than four months.

Many Democrats want an extension of at least a year or a bill to make the program permanent.

The debate over the 245(i) provision illustrates anew the perennial push and pull over immigration policy in Congress.

Some lawmakers want to fling the gates to immigration open wide. Others want to slam them shut. In the middle, a bipartisan group seeks a compromise to keep them ajar.

In Monday’s debate, Rep. George W. Gekas (R-Pa.) said the four-month extension would be “fair to applicants” and allow the United States to “seize control of its borders and immigration policies.”

But Democrats warned that without more time, many deserving applicants would not benefit.

“It’s something like buying a movie ticket to go to the premiere of a show and by the time you get to the front, they close the door,” said Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.).