House Judiciary Committee opens first immigration hearing

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said Tuesday the nation’s immigration system is “in desperate need of repair” as he opened Congress’ first hearing this year on immigration. Whether Congress will be able to agree on how to fix it remained unclear.

The session came as President Barack Obama pushes for swift action to pass immigration legislation and as bipartisan Senate negotiators work to craft a bill. But in a sign of the difficulties to come, the Judiciary chairman, Republican Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, cautioned against a “rush to judgment” and said each piece of the issue must be examined in detail.

Goodlatte said there are lots of questions about how any large-scale legalization program would work, how much it would cost and how it would prevent illegal immigration in future.

Obama supports a pathway to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country, something many Republicans oppose.

Goodlatte questioned whether another approach might be possible: “Are there options we should consider between the extremes of mass deportation and a pathway to citizenship for those not lawfully present in the United States?” he asked.

His question underscored the discomfort of many majority House Republicans with granting eventual citizenship to illegal immigrants, something conservatives often decry as amnesty.

Yet Tuesday’s hearing, which focused on fixing the legal immigration system and on enforcement, was notable for the generally measured tone from some Republicans known for strong anti-immigration positions.

It was part of a larger shift by Republicans who have begun to embrace action on immigration reform in the wake of the November elections in which large proportions of Hispanic voters supported Obama, helping him win re- election. Some GOP leaders have concluded that softening their views on immigration is becoming a political necessity.