The bill, a reaction to mounting pressure about illegal immigrants, would boost border security and heighten the enforcement of immigration laws. Additionally, it would make it a criminal penalty to live within U.S. borders under illegal status, a violation now covered by civil law. The bill passed out of committee by a 23-15 vote.

Cannon pushed two substantial amendments to the bill, one to go easy on business' paperwork glitches and another to remove a provision that would require all employers to check the residency status of their employees in six years.

“These are amendments that will allow business to continue,” Cannon said, noting his changes would prevent businesses from getting “jerked around in the system.”

But Republicans and Democrats on the Judiciary Committee disagreed, and Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., argued Cannon's amendments would “gut” the bill and make undocumented workers “indentured servants.”

Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., said Cannon's amendments would destroy the verification process. “The way to correct this bill isn't to give employers more free passes,” Berman said.

Cannon opposed the bill's language that would raise a fine for paperwork errors from the range of $100 to $1,000 to a new range of $1,000 to $25,000. “Why increase penalties 2,500 percent?” Cannon asked.

His second amendment attempted to strike language that forces all U.S. employers to check their workers' legal status in six years.

Cannon and Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, cast the only votes for the amendments.

Also Thursday, Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., joined with 20 other congressional members to say that the immigration bill being considered is a good first step but needs to go further.

“Our message today is clear: border security is too important and the chance for real reform is too rare to take any idea off the table,” Tancredo said.

tburr@sltrib.com