WASHINGTON — With a new Democratic-controlled Congress and a president newly committed to bipartisan accomplishments, prospects for an overhaul of the nation's immigration laws have never seemed brighter.
But reform efforts could still stumble over the stickiest issue: how to craft a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants that will win the support of lawmakers who draw the line at "amnesty."
In the House, where these conservatives could derail a bill, the job of finding that elusive middle ground falls to Rep. Zoe Lofgren. The San Jose Democrat, who heads the immigration subcommittee, has been buttonholing lawmakers, quizzing them between votes and hosting formal meetings.
"There's a way to deal with this," she said. "The Republicans I've listened to make it clear they're open to dialogue, to practical solutions."
Across Capitol Hill, Sens. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) are pursuing the same goal as they develop a plan based on last year's comprehensive immigration bill, which passed the Senate, but not the House.
And in his State of the Union address last week, President Bush emphasized the importance of advances in border security and enforcement, a pitch to lawmakers who are nervous about reforms that could be seen as rewarding people who entered the country illegally.
Advocates for a broad immigration bill say it will need the support of at least 20 Republicans in the Senate and perhaps 40 in the House.
"They exist, they just have to be reassured about some things," said Tamar Jacoby, a senior fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute who backs comprehensive immigration reform. "How do you bring along the people who said 'no' last year?"
The approach Bush took in his speech is a good start, she said. "He talked to them about border security, illegality in communities, assimilation, about working with local cops and communities. I think it's shrewd. I don't know if he can move those people, but the way to do it is address those concerns."
The Senate bill that passed last year encompassed stepped-up enforcement efforts, a program to let immigrants in as guest workers and a process for illegal immigrants to become legal residents.
The Senate seems likely to pass a similar bill this session.
In contrast, the House is legislative terra incognita.
