WASHINGTON _ Congressional Republicans are eying a possible "special visa" for immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children that would not require them to return to their home countries but would allow them to apply for citizenship, according to Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif.
The special visa, termed a "bridge," is the latest development in ongoing talks between House Republicans aimed at breaking a deadlock over how to proceed on immigration reform.
Other visas, such as the diversity visa lottery program and the family-based migration program, could be limited as part of any deal, Denham said.
Under the plan, the special visa could require that the immigrants, known as "Dreamers," show proof of employment, military service or enrollment in school. Denham said he's waiting for details from the conservative House Freedom Caucus on additional requirements and limits to other visas have been put down in writing.
"We want to see where those numbers come from, and how many Dreamers would be included," Denham said.
"We'd be combining those visas into one new visa program," he added.
A big roadblock to any deal has been whether Dreamers should get a special pathway to citizenship.
Denham and other House Republicans pushing for a vote on immigration have negotiated for weeks with GOP leadership and the Freedom Caucus.
Both sides have referred to the special visa as a "bridge" to citizenship for Dreamers. Denham implied Thursday that the Freedom Caucus offered the compromise in meetings, but Chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C., and other members of the caucus would not confirm or deny authorship.
"The negotiations have reached a critical stage," Meadows said. "To talk specifics draws too many lines in the sand, I think."
No deal exists in writing yet, both parties said.
If no immigration deal is reached before Tuesday, Denham said he will push ahead with his effort to force an immigration vote without leadership approval.
That effort _ which needs 218 signatures to work and had 215 as of Thursday afternoon _ would bring four immigration bills to the floor, which include a special pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and increased border security.
Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., who chairs the conservative Republican Study Committee, the largest GOP House caucus, said the immigration deal has a good chance of moving forward.
"I've been around here for 3 { years, I can tell when something is either trending the right direction, the wrong direction or it's just pretend," Walker said. "I really think this is still trending the right direction."
