US:Hopes of an early deal to legalise thousands of undocumented Irish immigrants in the United States receded yesterday when a Democratic proposal to legalise some undocumented farm workers was abruptly withdrawn from a farm Bill in the Senate.
The decision follows the defeat last month of the DREAM Act, which would have allowed college-going children of illegal immigrants to remain in the US.
California's Dianne Feinstein said she decided to withdraw the "AgJobs" measure because it had little chance of being passed.
Irish immigration reform campaigners have long regarded the DREAM Act and the farm workers measure as key tests of Congress's appetite for any liberalisation of immigration laws.
Ms Feinstein has been trying for years to pass a Bill that would legalise thousands of undocumented farm workers and introduce a temporary visa programme for the immigrants whose work is crucial to much of the agriculture in border states like California.
It became clear to the senator in recent weeks, however, that she could not secure the 60 votes needed to overcome an expected filibuster by opponents who consider the AgJobs Bill an amnesty for illegal immigrants.
Few in Congress believe any measure to liberalise immigration will pass this year. Some of Ireland's key allies say privately no deal for the Irish will be possible before the November 2008 elections.
Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern said this year that an immigration deal could be linked to political progress in the North. Some Irish campaigners hoped such an agreement could be in place in time for a US investment conference in Belfast next spring.
The defeat of the DREAM Act, the withdrawal of the AgJobs measure and the emergence of immigration as an issue in the US presidential campaign make such a timetable highly improbable.
Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton faced criticism from rivals last week for an ambiguous answer to a question about a plan to give driving licenses to illegal immigrants in New York. Most Democratic candidates support the proposal but Republicans, who view immigration as an issue that can galvanise conservatives, have condemned it.
Arizona senator John McCain has recently gone silent on immigration after his support for comprehensive immigration reform helped to reduce him from the Republican frontrunner to a long shot in the presidential race.
After the collapse of comprehensive immigration reform earlier this year, the Government shifted its focus towards a bilateral agreement with the US that could see the introduction of a new, renewable, non-immigrant visa that would make it easier for Irish citizens to work in the US.
In return, the Government would not only allow more Americans to work in Ireland but would commit itself to working more closely with the US to discourage visa violations.
Such a deal would not benefit Irish people now living in the US illegally, who may now have to wait at least another year for any move to legalise their status.