Bill to make Irish illegals US residents may never happen
Mr Ahern and opposition leader Enda Kenny are on separate trips to the US to underscore their support for the thousands of Irish illegals living in the country.
The minister has the unanimous support of the Dáil for his efforts to lobby legislators to back a bipartisan bill proposed by Democrat Senator Edward Kennedy and Republican John McCain.
The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act of 2005, aims to give legal status to the estimated 11 million mostly Hispanic illegal immigrants living in the US.
However, Mr Ahern, in New York and Boston this week, yesterday admitted: “A number of people have said here in the United States that the Kennedy-McCain bill would not see the light of day.”
Under the bill, illegals would obtain a temporary visa for six years after which they could apply for a green card, although they would have to pay at least $2,000 (€1,669) in fines and application fees.
However, the bill faces a tough passage through Congress. The White House believes it is too generous, and has an alternative framework in mind whereby illegal immigrants would be given legal status to work in the country for six years but would then have to leave the US. They could later apply for visas if they wished to return to
America.
Mr Ahern said the McCain-Kennedy proposal offers the most to undocumented Irish. “[It] would enable undocumented Irish people to participate in the life of their adopted country free from fear and uncertainty,” he said.
“The McCain-Kennedy Bill contains principles we very much wish to have because it does very much include a path to permanent residency,” said Mr Ahern.
Although estimates vary, the Government believes there are about 25,000 illegal Irish in the US.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny is also in the US and will separately visit many of the same places on the minister’s itinerary, including the New York Irish Centre.
Mr Kenny will also visit the United Nations headquarters for discussions on reform of the organisation and Irish participation in peacekeeping operations.
He will also meet Richard Haass, president of the Council for Foreign Relations and former White House envoy to the North, to discuss recent developments there.
