Democrats and Republicans in the House Judiciary Committee were in private talks Wednesday over ending mandatory deportation for some long-time foreign residents who have been convicted of crimes.
Sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., the bill known as the Family Reunification Act would allow some convicted and deported felons to return to the United States and seek reinstatement as permanent residents.

"I think we can come up with a bill that presents no danger to Americans, that deals primarily with people who did something wrong when they were young - served their sentence and were able to show they were rehabilitated," Frank said Wednesday.
Despite security concerns following the Sept. 11 attacks, he said he hoped he could win bipartisan backing for his proposal, which he said chiefly benefits American-born children whose immigrant parents have been removed from the country.

Frank said he is now in compromise talks with Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis. With no agreement yet, a committee vote scheduled for today has been postponed on the bill, which faces sharp criticism.
"It's hard to know where to begin a list of objections," Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas wrote in a letter that he and fellow Republicans sent to Judiciary Committee colleagues.
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