Sen Rubio: Immigration deal needs tough terms

WASHINGTON (AP):

A bipartisan deal on immigration legislation would need tough enforcement and even stricter penalties for those who came to the United States illegally, a leading Republican at the centre of negotiations said Sunday.

Senator Marco Rubio, who's among the eight senators writing a plan that's expected to come out tomorrow, tried to promote and defend the framework for the emerging overhaul that would provide a path toward citizenship for those who came to the country illegally or overstayed their visit.

While the deal does include a long and difficult process for the 11 million individuals in question, Rubio insisted the proposal does not include an "amnesty" provision that fellow conservatives have called a deal-breaker.

"We're not awarding anybody anything. All we're doing is giving people the opportunity to eventually earn access to our new, improved and modernised legal immigration system," said Rubio, a Florida Republican and Cuban-American.