| No favours for Irish illegals in America
 HOPES of
a special deal for 50,000 Irish illegals living in America have been dashed.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has been told there can be no individual arrangements
to help the Irish obtain legal status.
Instead Republican Senator John McCain insisted the workers could only
be included in an overall agreement dealing with the 12million such foreigners
believed to be in America.
But he said he was hopeful legislation he and Senator Ted Kennedy are
championing will prevail over more draconian attempts to tighten immigration
laws.
But Mr Ahern pledged to keep up pressure on the issue as he conducted
intensive lobbying which saw him meeting other leading political figures
as well as being guest of honour at a Congressional lunch attended by
US President George W Bush.
Irish politicians have been touring America trying to drum-up support
for special measures to help Irish people living illegally in America.
But it seems their fate will now rest on the McCain-Kennedy Bill which
aims to grant legal status to immigrants if they can prove they are gainfully
employed and have committed no crime.
The Bill would apply to all nationalities but has faced hostility from
some right-wing opponents.
Senator Kennedy said: "The status of the 50,000 to 70,000 undocumented
Irish in America needs to be adjusted."
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