WASHINGTON (By Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Associated Press) May 9, 2007 — The Bush administration and key senators are struggling to agree on draft legislation to secure the U.S.-Mexico border before putting millions of illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship that could take 13 years.

Even then, immigrants would have to leave the country and pay large fines before gaining legal status.

Officials familiar with the discussions say that despite concessions by both Republicans and Democrats, a final agreement may not come before the Senate opens debate on the issue next week, if at all.

Still, the outlines of a possible deal have taken shape in almost daily secret talks attended by two members of President Bush's Cabinet. As contemplated, the proposal would bar undocumented immigrants from gaining legal status until the administration beefs up border security and implements a high-tech identification system for temporary workers. The same trigger would apply to new immigrants seeking temporary visas as guest workers. Such measures are expected to take up to two years.

Even after that, officials said it could take more than a decade before the 12 million men, women and children estimated to be in the U.S. illegally could get permanent legal status, or green cards. First, the government would clear an existing legal immigration backlog, a task estimated to take eight years. Then, the government would begin processing green cards for the 12 million in the country illegally, expected to take another five years.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., has been leading negotiations with Republican senators and White House officials in hopes of cutting a bipartisan deal on the issue before the Senate wades into an explosive immigration debate. But some Democrats are hesitant to embrace conditions they successfully opposed when the Senate debated the issue last year.

To jump-start debate, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he will move today to bring up a measure from 2006, either a Senate-passed bill or one approved by the Judiciary Committee. Both are regarded as much more liberal than the one being forged in the bipartisan talks.

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., one of the lawmakers involved in the negotiations, made a plea Tuesday for more time, warning that moving too quickly could provoke a GOP filibuster.

The political stakes for both parties are high. Democrats are eager to deliver a measure that appeals to their liberal base by allowing the huge undocumented population to earn legal status and welcoming new immigrants.

Republicans are seeking to neutralize an issue that party strategists believe hurt them in the 2006 elections. Some GOP lawmakers, however, are wary of alienating core conservative backers, who want to crack down on immigration.

Weeks of negotiations have yielded tentative agreements within the bipartisan group on many divisive issues, but they have yet to agree to any package, and both sides face risks.

Kennedy must balance his appetite for a deal against the concerns of other Democrats and liberal activists who find the conditions for policy changes, sometimes called "triggers, " unacceptable.

Republicans, led by Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., are fearful of appearing to embrace an overly permissive measure.

"You just can't comprehensively reform something until you first solve the problem, and the problem is an insecure border. Once it's secure, then you can make your reform work," said Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., a leading proponent of the conditions.