U.S. lawmakers begin push on immigration overhaul

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush wants a comprehensive overhaul of U.S. immigration laws, administration officials said on Wednesday, and they signaled a willingness to compromise on the question of granting a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.

"That is something that we need to discuss, we need to think through," Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. "There is a path today to citizenship, so it is not as if we need to create a new path to citizenship."

"I believe that what people want first and foremost is to have legal status," he told the panel, adding, "I'm not sure that everybody wants to be a U.S. citizen."

The question of how to address the status of an estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants could determine whether a fresh effort to overhaul immigration laws will succeed or meet the same fate as legislation last year.

That bill, which offered a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants, faltered in the face of criticisms by a group of Republicans in the House of Representatives arguing it gave amnesty to people who broke U.S. laws.

House Republican Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri told reporters on Tuesday he would not support legislation that provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, said at Wednesday's hearing he would push to get an immigration overhaul through Congress quickly, but the effort needed strong support from Bush.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, and Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican and 2008 presidential hopeful, could unveil a comprehensive immigration bill as early as next week, congressional aides said.

It is likely to be similar to last year's Senate bill, which they helped write. That bill coupled tough enforcement with a guest worker program and a plan giving millions of illegal immigrants a chance to earn legal status and U.S. citizenship.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Bush has been "crystal clear" he does not want an amnesty program. Chertoff said that "brute force alone will not deal with the challenge" of undocumented workers. He also said it would be a "gargantuan task to try to locate, detain and deport 12 million people."

Chertoff also said his agency had made great strides in returning people to their home countries when they are caught crossing the boarder illegally. But some countries, particularly China, he said, were reluctant to take their citizens back. He said about 40,000 Chinese who could be deported remained in the United States because China would not take them back.