2nd Chance at Amnesty to End Soon

Almost 20 years have passed since Congress approved an amnesty for nearly 3 million immigrants living illegally in the United States, but for perhaps as many as 100,000 undocumented residents, the door is still open.

It closes Saturday.

With the final deadline approaching, lawyers are reaching out to those immigrants who may still be eligible for green cards under the 1986 amnesty program.

They are people like Valentin Badillo, a San Gabriel Valley resident who crossed the U.S. border illegally in 1980. After the amnesty took effect, Badillo applied, but a trip he'd made back to Mexico to visit his ill father disqualified him.

Under the rules in force at the time, people who left the country between 1982 and 1987, even for brief trips, were rejected for the amnesty. But as a result of a legal settlement in two class-action lawsuits, that changed. Now, people such as Badillo have until Dec. 31 to reapply for legal residency.

Without immigration papers, Badillo said, he has had to work under the table -- often for meager wages -- as a construction worker, janitor and factory employee.

But after 25 years, the 64-year-old Badillo said he is optimistic that he may finally become legal.

"\o7Esperanza muere al ultimo\f7," he said, which is similar to the English saying "Hope springs eternal."

Groups that work against illegal immigration see the new deadline as yet more evidence of the weakness of U.S. immigration laws.

"That's the reason we have large-scale illegal immigration: because we send a clear message that there are no negative consequences to breaking our immigration laws," said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform. "And if you persevere long enough, you are going to get what you want."

The fact that immigrants can still apply for legal residency under the 1986 law should discourage legislators from passing a new amnesty or guest worker program, he said, adding that "we'll be litigating this one into the 22nd century."

But advocates for immigrant rights call the new deadline a measure of justice for longtime U.S. residents.

"This is the last chance to end their underground lives," said Peter Schey, president of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law. "This is not going to happen again probably in our lifetime."