By Erin Kelly
Republic Washington Bureau
Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl and Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison introduced legislation Tuesday to give legal status to young immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children.
The bill by the two Southwest Republicans — and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. — would offer special student and work visas and ultimately permanent legal status to those who earn a college degree or serve four years in the military.
“We need to have a discussion that is sensible, that is calm,” said Kyl, who, like Hutchison, is retiring in January. “This particular piece of immigration reform seemed a logical place to begin.”
Unlike several previous “Dream Act^”-@style bills, it does not offer a special pathway to citizenship, a conscious omission that is likely to be opposed by immigrant rights’ groups and many Democrats.
“I think this is a doubled-edged sword,” said Mary Giovagnoli, director of the Immigration Policy Center, which advocates for immigrants’ rights. “On one hand, I think it’s great that people are putting ideas out there about how to go forward on immigration. At the same time, I think it’s really unfortunate that the choice is being made to put solutions out there that don’t include the opportunity for people to become citizens.”

