Z-Visa Maneuvers: WaPo story about how members of the "grand coalition" are now backing an amendment to the present immigration bill that may require the heads of "illegal-immigrant households" to leave US national territory (which may include visiting a foreign embassy on US soil) in order to apply for the Z visa, which would grant legalization. Some critics of the present "grand bargain" label such a "touchback" provision a "fraud," so it's unclear how much a provision would win over critics. But other paragraphs in this story might cause critics to be won over even less by the inclusion of this provision:

"It would be a huge blow, an enormous bill, if this [the touchback provision amendment] happens," said Cecilia Muñoz, vice president for policy at the National Council for La Raza, the largest Latino rights group.

But Muñoz and members of other immigrant rights groups said they will still support the bill's passage, while pressing for changes in the House or in eventual House-Senate negotiations.

"If this was the final bill, if this was going straight from the Senate floor to the Rose Garden signing ceremony, there would be full-throated opposition, but it's not. We still have another chamber to go through," said Angela Kelley, deputy director of the National Immigration Forum, which supports the bill.

So even if it passes the Senate this time, forces will work to ensure that this "touchback" provision does not make it into the final bill.