Bush faces early test on immigration

US President George W. Bush faces an early test on immigration policy this week as Congress considers legislation denounced by Latino groups as anti-Hispanic and anti-immigrant.

Several provisions that would affect the lives of immigrants and asylum seekers found their way into a bill passed by the House of Representatives to reform the nation's intelligence services.

The bill stems directly from recommendations by the bipartisan commission which investigated the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. The Senate version of the bill does not contain these immigration clauses.

House and Senate conferees will try once again to reconcile their differing bills when Congress reconvenes for a lame duck session this week. The White House is on record as strongly opposing some of the House provisions but it remains to be seen whether Mr Bush is willing to expend any political capital by putting pressure on Republican legislators to drop them.

"The House Republicans think they have a strong hand on this and seem ready to go to the mat. They seem to want to paint immigrants as the bad guys in the war on terror," said Angela Kelley of the National Immigration Forum, a pro-immigration group.

Opponents of the House bill say it would make it more difficult for refugees to obtain political asylum in the United States by raising the standards of proof required. It would also make it easier for the authorities to deport non-citizens, including legal residents.

"The bill is the biggest assault we have ever seen on political asylum. If passed, it would make it incredibly difficult for anyone to be granted asylum in this country," said Erin Corcoran of Human Rights First.

The bill also seeks to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining drivers' licences and would withdraw recognition of ID cards issued by Latin American embassies that many immigrants carry that now allow them to open bank accounts, obtain drivers licences and even board aircraft.

Mexico has issued over two million of the cards, known as the "matricula consular" to its nationals, whether they are in the United States legally or illegally, and several other Latin American countries also issue ID cards.

Four major Latino organisations issued a joint statement last month denouncing the provisions as "anti-Latino and anti-immigrant."

"These provisions will have a profound, negative impact on Latinos and other immigrants communities. They will not make us safer and, in fact, may make us less safe by driving a wedge between American communities and law enforcement," they said.