EDITORIAL REAL PROGRESS SENATE IMMIGRATION DEAL OFFERS AN IMPERFECT SOLUTION.

Sometimes, when politicians are forced to work together and compromise, the results are worth it. The tentative deal that the U.S. Senate has struck over immigration reform marks just such a time. For two decades, the U.S. Congress has done nothing to deal with the increasing problem of illegal immigration. And when it last tried in 1986, it came up with amnesty - an idea that spectacularly failed.

When the House of Representatives took up the issue earlier this year, it passed HR 4437 - a political nonstarter because it focused entirely on enforcement and security, and not on ways to deal with the realities of legal and illegal immigration.

But spurred by massive protests and election-year pressures, the Senate has struck upon a compromise plan that balances competing interests while dealing responsibly with the labor, national security and social-services burdens of illegal immigration.

Senators, both Republicans and Democrats, acknowledge that there are still issues to be worked out, and, of course, they will need to win over support in the House, too. But so far, what they have come up with seems to achieve all of the most important goals.

First, it offers a long path that can eventually lead to citizenship for illegal immigrants. It sets out penalties and programs that can help deal with the issue of many undocumented people living in America, many of whom have children who are citizens, and could never practically or morally be deported. The Senate plan would require them to clean up the past, pay taxes, obey the laws and learn English while they become legal residents, then Americans.

In short, it brings millions out of the shadows and into the mainstream. It makes sure people are identified, accountable, and protected from exploitation. The plan also would create a guest-worker program that allows for immigrants to legally and safely enter the country, thus drastically reducing the appeal of immigrating illegally.

In a compromise with some Republican holdouts, the bill would also force newer illegal immigrants to return to their home countries before applying to re-enter the U.S. That may impose a hardship on some, but it's a small price to pay to remain in the U.S.

And, by extension, tough enforcement - including elements of HR 4437 - should be part of the overall package that Congress approves. Real immigration reform must include both sticks and carrots: ample opportunity to enter the U.S. legally, and serious consequences for those who don't.

At last, real immigration reform appears imminent. And credit belongs to pressure from President George W. Bush and the efforts of a bipartisan coalition of senators who, at last, were able to put politics aside and tackle one of America's most pressing concerns.