Rubio calls for immigration reform ? in pieces ? Central Florida ...

By William Gibson, Washington Bureau

Senator Marco Rubio wants to put off debate about legalizing undocumented immigrants until Congress resolves other immigration issues.

Rubio, a first-term Republican from Florida who is widely considered a potential presidential candidate, said on Wednesday that Congress should first consider measures to shore up border security, establish an electronic verification system at workplaces and create a foreign guest worker program.

Once those issues are resolved, Rubio said, ?It?s going to be a lot easier ? not easy ? but easier both politically and from a policy perspective to deal with those folks here who are undocumented.?

In the meantime, he said, the undocumented population would decline while some avail themselves of other ways to get legal. And stronger enforcement, he said, would help allay fears that reform will lead to more illegal migrations.

?I am optimistic that if we depoliticize this issue we can solve it,? Rubio said at a forum sponsored by Politico.

Some reform activists accuse Rubio of moving too slowly. He has been talking since January about a way to help the children of illegal immigrants become legal residents, and he has been devising an alternative to the DREAM Act since March.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has blocked deportation of the ?dreamers? by executive order, and other Republican senators have introduced a bill along the lines of what Rubio proposed months ago.

But Rubio is still plugging away at this own version and biding his time before introducing it.

Obama and reform advocates are pressing for comprehensive reform in one big bundle so all provisions are achieved, including legalization, the most controversial part. They want this done early next year, with the last election results fresh in mind and the next election still far enough away to improve chances for passage.

Source: http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2012/12/rubio-calls-for-immigration-reform-in-pieces.html

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