http://www.theobserver.com/articles/200 ... 145318.txt

The immigration legislation that was pulled from the Senate floor, stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey with too many amendments and then resurrected, has caused fierce debate across the country.

But for New Jersey’s own Sen. Robert Menendez, D-Hoboken, 53, the first Hispanic senator to represent the state, his mission remains clear.

Born in Manhattan to Cuban parents, the young Menendez grew up in Union City. On top of his game from the start, he graduated from St. Peter’s College and the Rutgers School of Law. He was elected to the Union City Board of Education at the tender age of 20. The rest of the story is a stellar rise to power, with a few bumps along the political road.

He spoke with The Observer Friday, just a day after Senate leaders resurrected the faltering bill.

“There are clearly very different and very passionate views on the bill. There are those people in the Senate who believe that nothing should be done except border enforcement and the deportation of an estimated 12 million people,â€