Since passing the Senate in June, comprehensive immigration reform has stalled in the Republican-led House of Representatives. Efforts had been going on simultaneously with a bipartisan group of seven representatives as well as with the House Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Bob Goodlatte.
While the work done by the now-disbanded group of seven was mostly behind closed doors, the House Judiciary Committee has already passed a series of smaller bills, mostly aimed at strengthening border security.
That work will be continuing throughout the rest of the year, according to Chairman Goodlatte.
“We want to do immigration reform right,” Goodlatte told about 70 Hispanic leaders during a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill, The Washington Times reported. He added that he hopes the House can begin considering bills next month.
Goodlatte, whose committee oversees immigration legislation, has said he is open to granting legal status to young undocumented immigrants. He and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor have been working on the KIDS Act, a bill that would grant legal status to young people who were brought to the country illegally by their parents.
The sticking point for House Republicans has been the path to citizenship included in the Senate bill.
Goodlatte has said he does not support a new path for the undocumented immigrants in the country. Instead, those that would be granted legal status under his proposal would then apply for citizenship through existing channels.
