Long hours spent hammering out reform plan, Salazar says

Burt Hubbard, Rocky Mountain News

Published May 18, 2007 at midnight

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The 300-page immigration reform package unveiled Thursday had its roots in meetings among a handful of U.S. senators that began months ago and culminated in nearly nonstop sessions this week.

"It's kind of a blur," said Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., one of the architects of the proposal. "We worked on it for some very long hours for really the last two or three months."

The first piece to fall into place involved border security.

"We kept true to the principles that have always driven me on this debate over immigration, and that's first to secure our borders," he said.

The plan calls for more Border Patrol agents and more effective ways to crack down on hiring of illegal immigrants.

Salazar said creating separate provisions for agricultural workers in the temporary worker program was another breakthrough.

Salazar spokesman Cody Wertz said the temporary worker program was "the toughest part."

Finally, the group of senators addressed what to do about the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S.

Salazar said the package gives them a chance to get permanent residency, but puts them "at the back of the line (of those) who are waiting to get a green card in this country."

Salazar said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff sat in on most of the meetings and spent a great deal of time since January helping to hammer out the package.

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