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Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005

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  The administration said it "strongly supports" the bill the House began debating Wednesday but wants it altered to ensure that new barriers are not erected for refugees seeking asylum. It also asked Congress to remove limits on the number of asylum recipients who can obtain permanent U.S. residency.

In a statement of administration policy, the White House also said it wants the bill to clarify the definition of "official purpose" for which immigrants' driver's licenses and identification cards would still be accepted by federal agencies.

"I am very happy the administration has clarified its position and they're on board trying to make our borders more secure," said Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis, the bill's sponsor.

Sensenbrenner, who says the legislation is needed to prevent terrorists from taking advantage of U.S. immigration policies, proposed an amendment late Tuesday to lift the annual ceiling of 10,000 on the number of political refugees who receive permanent residency.

More than 150,000 people granted asylum in the country are waiting to become legal permanent residents, said Bill Strassberger, a Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman.

Asylum measures in the bill have drawn heavy criticism from several religious and human rights groups and Democrats. The driver's license measure is also opposed by most governors and state motor vehicle departments

The administration also said it supports attempts to restrict entry for non-citizens, but some provisions in the bill would need tweaking "to ensure consistency with foreign policy priorities."

Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., circulated a letter among House members pointing out that the bill if enacted would have prohibited Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas from taking President Bush up on his invitation to visit the country.

"President Mahmoud Abbas is somebody who we've met with, who we have confidence in, who we think is an important and necessary interlocutor to help bring peace between Israelis and Palestinians," said Adam Ereli, a State Department spokesman.

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