Immigration Reform 2013: Some House Republicans Reportedly ‘Nervous’ About Proposed Kids Bill

Not all House Republicans are sold on a proposed House immigration reform bill that would legalize undocumented children.

Though House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has publicly backed the legislation, another Republican from Ohio, Rep. Jim Jordan, is “a little nervous about it,” according to The Hill.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of sympathy for kids who came here at a young age through no fault of their own. They’re here,” Jordan told the paper. “I think there are people who want to look at it, but still, the law’s the law.”

The kids’ bill is being written by Majority Leader Eric Cantor and House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, two Virginia Republicans. It has not been introduced, but when that happens, it will be the first of a few piecemeal bills from House Republicans that focus on a pathway to citizenship.

The Judiciary Committee will hear the measure sometime next week. However, Jordan said he’s unsure his colleagues “fully embrace the idea” of such a bill.

Last month, 14 Senate Republicans supported Democrats in passing a bipartisan comprehensive reform bill, 68-32, to pull undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and put them on a legal path to citizenship. Under that bill, it would take at least 13 years for those here illegally to achieve such a status.