March 14, 2008
Senate passes Sessions' immigration bill

WASHINGTON -- The Senate passed Sen. Jeff Sessions' measure Thursday that would toughen laws on immigration, add funding to complete more fence along the Mexican border, increase the National Guard presence on the border and train more local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws.

"This Senate has repeatedly voted on issue after issue after issue that would move us to a lawful system of immigration but for one reason or the other those votes have not been translated into action or funding," said Sessions, R-Mobile. "As a result, we have not made the progress we should have made."

Sessions tacked his amendment onto the budget resolution, a non-binding bill that lays out the fiscal priorities of the federal government. His amendment also would include funding to expand a program that arrests and imprisons all people convicted of illegally crossing the border and deportation of illegal immigrants who are convicted of felonies.

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., opposed the measure, saying the National Guard is stretched thin serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and handling state weather emergencies. Many provisions in Sessions' bill already have been tried, he said.

"They have not succeeded."

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, also voted for the measure, which passed 61 to 37.
-- Gannett News Service
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