Immigration Bill Overshadows Senate Opponents

By Jaime Ortega.

“It passes!” committee chairman Senator Patrick Leahy exalted moments after the vote, which followed days of marathon hearings and meetings to consider more than 200 amendments to the bill.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-5 to approve a landmark bill offering a path to citizenship for millions.

Senate immigration bill

• Would allow people living in US illegally to obtain “registered provisional immigrant status”

• Applicants must have arrived in US before 31 Dec 2011 and have maintained continuous physical presence

• Those with felony conviction or more than two misdemeanors need not apply

• Registered provisional immigrant status would cost $500, and be renewable after six years

• After a decade individuals could seek green card and lawful permanent resident status

• Individuals brought to the US as youths would be able to apply for green cards in five years

All Democrats on the committee, along with Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and gang of eight Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), voted in favor of the bill, which will now go to the Senate floor. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who voted against the bill out of committee, said he would support allowing it to move forward for debate — rather than joining a filibuster — once on the Senate floor. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who was also a “no” vote, said if it had been between his vote and moving the bill to the Senate floor, he would have voted in favor.

Florida Repubilcan Sen. Marco Rubio is not on the committee but was a critical member of the Gang of 8 that wrote the bill.

Rubio lent support for amendments that were added to provide even tighter enforcement, including an exit visa tracking system. And he played a role in stopping an effort to add same-sex couples to the mix — the last amendment offered before tonight’s vote.

The legislation, which would legalize more than 11 million undocumented people currently living in the shadows and set most of them on a 13-year path to citizenship, is now set for a debate showdown on the Senate floor in June.

In a statement, US President Barack Obama congratulated the panel.

He said the bill was “largely consistent with the principles of common sense reform I have proposed and meets the challenge of fixing our broken immigration system”. Mr Obama added he was “hopeful” the amendment process would “lead to further improvements”.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said he would not block the measure from coming to the floor for a full debate, but did not say how he planned to vote.

Pablo Bonejo a pro-migration activist hailed the bill and asked for the government to keep working on this issue that affects millions of undocumented residents.

“I am happy the bill passed as it’s a step forward,” Bonejo said. “I hope the bill is used properly to change the current laws that affect our very own Constitution.”