Members of immigration rights organizations, including Casa in Action and Maryland Dream Act, demonstrate in front of the White House as they call on President Barack Obama to fulfill his promise of passing comprehensive immigration reform, in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012.
Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York and Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who promoted similar proposals on separate Sunday news shows said that no path to citizenship would be available until the country's borders were secure.
Only then could those in the U.S. without authorization "come out of the shadows, get biometrically identified, start paying taxes, pay a fine for the law they broke," Graham told CBS' "Face the Nation." ''They can't stay unless they learn our language, and they have to get in the back of line before they become citizens. They can't cut in front of the line regarding people who are doing it right and it can take over a decade to get their green card." A green card grants permanent residency status — a step toward citizenship.
Schumer told NBC's "Meet the Press" that he and Graham have resumed talks on immigration policy that broke off two years ago and "have put together a comprehensive detailed blueprint on immigration reform" that has "the real potential for bipartisan support based on the theory that most Americans are for legal immigration, but very much against illegal immigration."
Graham, however, made no mention of working with the chairman of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, refugees and border security.
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