WASHINGTON (AFP) - Battle lines were drawn Monday as US lawmakers girded for debate on a sweeping immigration overhaul that President George W. Bush hopes will compete with Iraq to shape his legacy.
After marathon talks, Bush on Thursday won support from key senators for a bill to legalize as many as 12 million undocumented workers now in the United States.
Senators backing the bill are hoping to hustle it through a debate in Congress from Monday, with all aware that delays could see it fall victim to the upcoming national election cycle, as it did last year.
But the bill has already run into hostility, forcing Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez to insist that it does not amount to an "amnesty" for the millions now in the country unlawfully.
To gain legal status, they would have to pay fines and undergo a criminal background check, he said on Sunday.