House Repubs Push Legislation That Defies Bush's Guest Worker Program - Makes Illegal Immigration a Felony

Under immigration legislation being considered in the House, living illegally in the United States would no longer be a violation of civil immigration law. It would be a federal crime.

But making the nation's estimated 11 million illegal immigrants into felons could deal a fatal blow to the proposed guest-worker program that is a cornerstone of President Bush's immigration overhaul, because immigrants who have committed crimes are not eligible for legal status in the United States.

The move, spearheaded by the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.), is part of a push by House Republicans to set the tone for the debate over revising immigration laws that will continue into 2006. The measure could come up as soon as today.

House Republicans want tough border security and enforcement provisions in place before discussion of a guest-worker program. Their clash with pro-business Republicans has created tensions within the party and with the administration that the House bill could intensify.

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