This week Reps. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and James Flake (R-AZ) announced their intention to resurrect the immigration reform bill.

Senators Gutierrez and Flake were the architects of the Strive Act, which would have legalized the status of millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States. The Strive Act met the same fate as other immigration bills when it was voted down last spring.

“I am very surprised by the positions that many members of Congress have taken on immigration reform," said Sen. Gutierrez. “They're acting as if the problems of 12 million illegal immigrants simply don't exist. The longer we draw out debates on this burning issue, the more difficult it will be to find the right way to solve the problem.”

Senators Gutierrez and Flake have changed tactics somewhat. They are now campaigning above all for the legalization of qualified undocumented workers already in the United States. This group consists of college graduates in specialties that are in high demand in this country.

Dozens of well-known U.S. companies have come out in support of this initiative, among them Intel, Motorola, Hewlett Packard, Oracle, Google and Microsoft, which are experiencing shortages of qualified workers.

“Our immigration policy has a direct effect on the country’s economy,” said Robert Hoffman, vice-president of Oracle. “If we want our economy to dominate on the world arena like it used to, then we must increase the number of work visas for foreign specialists and legalize qualified workers already in the country.”

Even California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is opposed to the legalization of illegal immigrants, has acknowledged the shortage of workers in the United States.

“America has always been a country of hard-working people. Workers are now in short supply. We need both agricultural workers and educated specialists for the high-tech sector,” he said.

Meanwhile, farmers from states across the country and supporters of immigration reform are planning a march in Washington D.C. on September 18 to draw Congress’s attention to job vacancies in the agricultural sector.

“Our country is governed by indifferent people pursuing their own selfish agendas,” said William Lee Yanger, a farmer from Idaho. “The president and his administration are not interested in anything other than the war in Iraq. The politicians have forgotten that for 300 million Americans, stability in the agricultural sector is much more important than the development of the defense industry. The day will soon be upon us when America will have to start buying fruits, vegetables and meat abroad.”

The growing shortage of workers can be directly linked to the rapidly aging population. In 10 years, the country will have a record number of senior citizens. This could be disastrous for the American economy because there will not be anyone to rebuild it.

“Immigration reform should not be comprehensive,” said Ahmed Katroy, a participant in the National Immigration Forum (NIF). “The only people who should be granted the right to work in America are people who have never committed a crime on U.S. territory.”

Many Republicans support Katroy’s position. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), a presidential candidate, believes that to achieve legal status, illegal immigrants should have to meet certain criteria concerning level of education, age, ability to work, and absence of a criminal record.

Many proponents of partial immigration reform agree that it is much easier to deport illegal immigrants who have been granted the right to work and subsequently break the law.

“Immigration reform is good because we will receive exhaustive data on people living in the country without documents,” said Carl Thompson, one of the participants in the National Immigration Forum discussion. “We should not automatically add yesterday’s illegal immigrants to the ranks of law-abiding residents. They should work, pay taxes, and study English to prove that they can be active members of American society. Every illegal immigrant should be put on probation, like a prisoner under an early release program. They should have to check in regularly with immigration authorities and keep them informed of their activities and whereabouts."

Thomas Ellias, a political analyst from California believes that immigration reform will be accomplished within the next two years. “A delay in reform only means that it will become easier to achieve legal status. I would not be surprised if by 2010 Congress will be trying to persuade illegal immigrants to remain in the country.”

It is worth noting that practically 100 percent of undocumented immigrants in the country hold steady jobs, even though there is a growing shortage of workers in many branches of the economy. Therefore, even the legalization of “underground” workers will not ease the severe shortage of specialists.

Supporters of immigration reform hope to convince members of Congress to renew discussions next month. Senators Flake and Gutierrez do not rule out this happening in the first half of 2008.