Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Immigration Task Force, has outlined a set of core principles that he plans to include in a comprehensive immigration reform bill. In a press release issued October 13, Gutierrez stated:

We simply cannot wait any longer for a bill that keeps our families together, protects our workers and allows a pathway to legalization for those who have earned it. It is time we had a workable plan making its way through Congress that recognizes the vast contributions of immigrants to this country and that honors the American Dream. I am preparing such a plan, and will introduce it in the near future.

To that end, Gutierrez said his bill would contain, among other elements, a means for expanding the labor rights of workers and punishing “dishonest employers who continue to exploit immigrants in order to undermine their honest competitors.” The legislation also aims to fix the current employment verification system to reduce illegal immigration. Gutierrez criticized the country’s current employment-based immigration laws, including the guest worker programs, which he claims are often at odds with the needs of the labor market and economy. Therefore, his bill would amend the employment-based visa system and create a commission to “align visa numbers with actual labor market demands and economic needs, not political winds.” In addition, Gutierrez proposes an agreement between labor and agribusiness to allow farm workers access to legal protection and immigration status while enabling employers to maintain a legal and stable workforce.

Given Congress’s focus on healthcare reform legislation, any immigration overhaul bill will not likely receive significant consideration until 2010 at the earliest. However, immigration reform is a priority for the Administration and Democrats in Congress. So, once healthcare is concluded one way or the other, immigration reform will likely take center stage at some point in the first half of 2010.