Monday lawmakers in Washington will begin to debate a bi-partisan immigration reform bill-- which offers a way for illegal immigrants to gain citizenship. U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D) - Arkansas, will be among the immigration debate Monday on capital hill. The measure is a product of senators from both parties-- a key point of the bill offers illegal immigrants a way to become legal. Critics have called it amnesty... Senator Lincoln says not so. "They don't immediately get citizenship, none of them, but they get an opportunity to work towards citizenship and to earn that citizenship." The bill also aims to tighten border security, change the requirements for new immigrants and give employers stricter guidelines. "We've got to make sure that there's strict border security. We also have to make sure that we're putting into place common sense, strong fundamental employer guidelines in terms of the employers that are hiring those that might be coming in illegally." Lincoln says there's still some kinks to work out, but she feels a bi-partisan approach is a good way to start the immigration debate. "I think by and large it's going to be a reasonable approach to making sure that folks that really believe in the american dream and are willing to work and recognize that we're putting into place a set of guidelines and a set of rules that will allow people to earn that citizenship."
