The Dáil today unanimously backed a motion supporting US moves to legalise the status of undocumented Irish immigrants.
The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act - introduced last May in the US Senate by Senators Kennedy and McCain - will allow illegals to apply for temporary visas if they have no criminal backgrounds and if they pay a fine.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern today tabled an all-party Dáil motion expressing concern at the plight of thousands of illegal Irish people who cannot return home to see relatives in case they get barred from re-entering the US.
Mr Ahern, who has ministerial responsibility for the welfare of emigrants, welcomed "the high priority" being given by the US President and Congress to addressing the issue of immigration reform.
He said the Act, if passed, would allow many Irish "come out of the shadows and generally enjoy greater peace of mind."
"Significantly, they could travel to and from Ireland without fear of being refused re-entry," he said.
Mr Ahern said he believed up to 25,000 Irish are among the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living and working in the US.
But Fine Gael spokesman on foreign affairs Bernard Allen disputed this figure, saying it is "conservatively estimated" that there are up to 50,000 Irish people in the US.
Mr Allen said: "These people are in a deeply difficult situation. For many of them, their ties with their adopted country run deep."
He said: "They have built a network of family, friends and work colleagues, and some of these people have started businesses. However, they dread the knock at the door that could lead to their deportation from the country that they now call home."
Under the Act, immigrants who get accepted for temporary visas can apply for permanent residency after six years.
After another five years, they and their families can then seek full citizenship under the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act,which was tabled in the US Senate and House of Representatives in May.
Since the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, tighter security has meant that Irish emigrants risk being barred from the United States any time they return home to Ireland for family illness or bereavement.
