61.   To qualify, immigrants would have to prove they have worked for a substantial amount of time, paid taxes and been law-abiding residents, the Democrats said.

62.   To get that status, though, illegal immigrants usually had to go to their home countries and apply for a visa at an American embassy and consulate.

63.   To obtain legal status, immigrants must have the sponsorship of a close relative or employer.

64.   Under the current system, most immigrants must have a sponsor who is a U.S. citizen and who guarantees to support the immigrant for up to five years.

65.   Until the passage of the welfare law, many elderly immigrants had sponsors who pledged to care for them for their first five years in the United States.

66.   Welfare reform is one reason for the surge of applications, because legal immigrants now have to be citizens to qualify for food stamps and other benefits.

67.   What these immigrants have in common is that they all have courage, strength, determination and hope.

68.   As a result, would-be immigrants had to attempt high-risk escapes by boat or plane.

69.   As a result, would-be immigrants had to attempt high-risk escapes by boat.

70.   Because the immigrant had no known criminal record, INS officials determined that he did not need an escort, the inspector general found.