Details of Gang of Eight Senators’ immigration reform bill leaked

(L-R) U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Senate Majority Whip Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) listen during a news conference on a comprehensive immigration reform framework January 28, 2013 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. A group of bipartisan senate members have reached to a deal of outlines to reform the national immigration laws that will provide a pathway for the 11 million illegal immigrants in the country to citizenship.

The Gang of Eight's immigration reform bill proposes providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who entered the country before December 31, 2011, adding more H-1B visas, increasing border security and creating a new visa for low-skilled workers.

The Gang of Eight senators have pushed back the formal unveiling of their immigration overhaul bill to later this week, in light of yesterday’s attacks in Boston. However, details of the plan have already been leaked. According to a memo obtained by NBC Latino, the bill will provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrations who entered the country before December 31, 2011. The process would take 13 years. At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security will receive $3 billion to put in tougher border security. The bill also ups the H-1B visas for skilled workers significantly. Furthermore, it creates a new kind of visa, called the W-visa, for low-skilled workers.

Guests:
Rachel Von Dongen, Congressional Editor, POLITICO

Angela Maria Kelley, Vice President for Immigration Policy and Advocacy at the Center for American Progress.

Alfonso Aguilar, executive director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles and former chief of the U.S. Office of Citizenship under President George W. Bush.

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies

Kitty Felde, KPCC Washington Correspondent