<p>The House Republican leadership has unveiled their party's principles for immigration legislation reform, according to USA Today.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"This problem's been around for at least the last 15 years. It's been turned into a political football, I think it's unfair. So I think it's time to deal with it," said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. "But how we deal with it is critically important."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The following are the key points outlined in the draft of the priciples, which was posted on Speaker John Boehner's website:<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><b>Border Security and Interior Enforcement Must Come First:</b> "It is the fundamental duty of any government to secure its borders, and the United States is failing in this mission." The draft also states that reforms must ensure that a President cannot unilaterally stop immigration enforcement.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><b>Implement Entry-Exit Visa Tracking System:</b> According to the draft, 8 separate statutes over the last 17 years have mandated such as system, at least 3 of which call for a biometric system, which would use technology to verify identity and prevent fraud.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><b>Employment Verification and Workplace Enforcement:</b> The draft claims that the current paper-based system is out of date and "wrought with fraud."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><b>Reforms to the Legal Immigration System:</b> Suggests an employment-based immigration system instead of one which it says emphasizes extended family and pure luck. The draft indicates that this is especially relevant to the agriculture, and the goal of a temporary worker program should be for workers to meet the economic needs of the country while not displacing or disadvantaging American workers.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><b>Youth:</b> "It is time to provide an opportunity for legal residence and citizenship for those who were brought to this country as children through no fault of their own, those who know no other place as home. For those who meet certain eligibility standards, and serve honorably in our military or attain a college degree, we will do just that."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><b>Individuals Living Outside the Rule of Law:</b> The draft suggests that it would not be fair to have a special path to citizenship, as this would undermine the existing legal process, in which many immigrants have to wait years to be considered.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"While these standards are certainly not everything we would agree with, they leave a real possibility that Democrats and Republicans, in both the House and Senate, can in some way come together and pass immigration reform that both sides can accept. It is a long, hard road but the door is open," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY said in a statement.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Republican lawmakers had more to say about this issue during their party's annual 3-day retreat in Cambridge, MD.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, R-WI, explained his position on the special path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, proposed by the Senate last year. "If you want to get in line to get a green card like any other immigrant, you can do that," said Ryan. "You just have to get at the back of the line so that we preference that legal immigrant who did things right in the first place."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The difference in impact between the two proposed approaches, to either create a special path to citizenship or maintain the current immigration path to citizenship, would be substantial. According to a Congressional Budget Office analysis, the Senate plan is estimated to qualify about 8 million undocumented immigrants for green cards and U.S. citizenship. According to a report from the National Foundation for American Policy, Paul Ryan's approach would allow 4.4-6.5 million undocumented immigrants to reach citizen status.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Some Republicans have suggested a path to legal status without granting full citizenship. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, however, said that any bill which does not include a path to citizenship is not likely to get much support from Democrats. "We need to have that path," Pelosi stated.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Speaker Boehner said Republicans are more likely to support a step-by-step approach, rather than a comprehensive immigration bill.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">How will potential reforms impact the agricultural sector? While the outcome is uncertain, the United Fresh Produce Association issued a press release praising the announcement of principles.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“Frankly, there has been skepticism by our membership that the House was really serious about taking action on immigration reform, but this demonstrates that Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor understand this issue is extremely important to our industry and many others. We appreciate their continued efforts and will be working diligently with them to make sure that the fruit and vegetable industry’s labor needs are addressed in any reform package," said United Fresh Produce Association Senior VP for Public Policy Robert Guenther.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.speaker.gov/sites/speaker.house.gov/files/Immigration-Standards.pdf" target="_new"> Speaker Boehner's Principles for Immigration Reform </a><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/01/30/house-gop-principles-immigration/5052407/" target="_new"> USA Today </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
