We should be wary of interfering in the internal affairs of the US

THE Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, spent the last week in the US meeting Irish immigrant groups and lobbying American politicians to help the 25,000 undocumented Irish immigrants in the light of new legislation being considered by the US Congress.

Senators John McCain of Arizona and Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts have proposed a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain temporary working visas for six years.

Afterwards they would become eligible for permanent visas if they stayed out of trouble, learned English and paid a $2,000 fine. Representatives Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake, two Arizona Republicans, proposed the same bill in the House of Representatives.