U.S. legislating immigration case-by-case

WASHINGTON, July 30 (UPI) -- With national immigration reform stalled in the U.S. Congress, legislators have begun filing bills on behalf of individuals, The Washington Post reported.

There are about 60 private bills pending debate in Congress that would prevent the deportation of individuals, the Post said.

Among them is one filed by Sen. Carl M. Levin, D-Mich., on behalf of Genevieve Vang, her husband and two children. The Laotian family has been living in Dearborn, Mich., for 17 years but was denied asylum status after 10 years.

Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., is another sponsor of a private immigration bill on behalf of 34 Mexican, Polish, Tanzanian and Serbian immigrants, the Post said.

"Some have been working for a number of years, and the family is getting ready to be broken up," Rush said.

Lawmakers have introduced more than 500 private immigration bills since 1996, which critics such as conservative blogger Michelle Malkin calls "instant amnesty," the Post said.