From Carrie Patrick
“The US Senate set its sights on passing a bill granting legal status to 12 million illegal immigrants, despite claims by opponents that the move is tantamount to a mass amnesty.
The fragile coalition of lawmakers behind the deal hopes to cling together despite an expected flurry of amendments designed to kill a measure that would form a key plank of President George W Bush’s legacy. The bill, agreed last month with the White House, would also establish a merit-based points system for future immigrants and institute a low-wage temporary worker programme. It includes a border security crackdown, punishments for employers who hire illegal immigrants and an attempt to wipe out a backlog of visa applications from those who have gone through legal immigration channels.” MORE
