Tweet
advertisement
Sergio Bustos
Gannett News Service
Nov. 1, 2003 12:00 AM
WASHINGTON - Millions of undocumented immigrants got discouraging news this week: The Bush administration and Mexico will not reach a deal anytime soon on legalizing their status in the United States.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, in separate interviews with Spanish-language TV networks Telemundo and CNN Español, said the administration would not push any major immigration legislation through Congress next year.
Powell's remarks come at a time when several lawmakers, including Republicans, have introduced bills that would allow undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States with temporary visas and eventually become legal residents.
The United States is home to an estimated 9 million undocumented immigrants. More than half are Mexican.
Powell said election-year politics and continuing fallout from the 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon make it virtually impossible to persuade Congress to approve such measures.
"I don't want to overpromise," Powell told Telemundo. "I believe there are some things we can do in immigration that don't require legislation during an election year. And we're anxious to move forward as fast and as aggressively as we can, but there are constraints."
He did not offer details on action that could be taken without congressional approval.
Powell's remarks come less than two weeks before U.S. and Mexican officials meet in Washington for talks on several issues, including immigration.
Email this article Click to send
Print this article Click to print
Most popular pages Today | This Week
Sergio Bustos
Gannett News Service
Nov. 1, 2003 12:00 AM
WASHINGTON - Millions of undocumented immigrants got discouraging news this week: The Bush administration and Mexico will not reach a deal anytime soon on legalizing their status in the United States.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, in separate interviews with Spanish-language TV networks Telemundo and CNN Español, said the administration would not push any major immigration legislation through Congress next year.
Powell's remarks come at a time when several lawmakers, including Republicans, have introduced bills that would allow undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States with temporary visas and eventually become legal residents.
The United States is home to an estimated 9 million undocumented immigrants. More than half are Mexican.
Powell said election-year politics and continuing fallout from the 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon make it virtually impossible to persuade Congress to approve such measures.
"I don't want to overpromise," Powell told Telemundo. "I believe there are some things we can do in immigration that don't require legislation during an election year. And we're anxious to move forward as fast and as aggressively as we can, but there are constraints."
He did not offer details on action that could be taken without congressional approval.
Powell's remarks come less than two weeks before U.S. and Mexican officials meet in Washington for talks on several issues, including immigration.
Email this article Click to send
Print this article Click to print
Most popular pages Today | This Week
Comment