From this:

Senators negotiating a bipartisan immigration reform bill have settled on the details of a plan that would immediately grant legal status to all illegal immigrants currently in the United States... ...The plan to award legal status to all illegal immigrants who meet certain qualifications would occur only after other "triggers" are met. These triggers would require that certain border security and work-site enforcement measures be in place before other aspects of the overhaul go forward.

The triggers are most likely a sham involving funding or planning, rather than actual results.

The Z visa plan would start with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States going on a probationary legal status. If the triggers are met — a process that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) estimated would take 18 months — then illegal immigrants who qualify could get Z visas. Those who have committed felonies would not be eligible, Graham said, and all participants would have to pass security checks, pay a fine and a processing fee and pass an English proficiency test.

Doing security checks for 12 million people is going to take, what, a couple months at most, right? Especially since we can trust Mexico to help us determine whether someone has a history.

Z visa holders would be able to apply for legal permanent resident status, a step toward citizenship. But at some point, the heads of households with Z visas would have to return to his or her home country and then reenter the United States. They would have to take their Z visa to the U.S. Embassy or consulate and would be guaranteed reentry. The Z visa would include a photo and fingerprints, Graham said.

In the Flake-Gutierrez scam, the head of household would only have to be out of the U.S. for one hour. Most likely this is the same.

...Unresolved issues include the terms of a guest worker program for future immigrants. Republicans are adamant that any program that imports labor should be temporary and not allow participants to become citizens.

That'll work out just fine... until the next amnesty.

In other news, "Captain" Ed Morrissey, says:

Conservatives don't get everything they want, of course, but we don't control Congress any more, either. While one could argue that no bill beats a bad bill, this compromise does not look all that bad.

Now you know why I've tried to take him to task (and appear to have been banned from his site for my efforts).