Thread: Senate’s “Gang of 8” to Visit U.S.-Mexico Border

dog and pony show
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March 27, 2013
Latin America Herald Tribune

WASHINGTON – Several members of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” senators who are negotiating immigration reform will visit the U.S. border with Mexico as part of their efforts to reach an accord.

In a communique, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said that he and three of his colleagues will travel to Nogales, Arizona, on Wednesday to discuss the negotiations underway for a plan to legalize the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

McCain will be accompanied by Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Michael Bennet of Colorado and by fellow Arizona Republican Jeff Flake.

On Monday, during a townhall meeting in Arizona, McCain warned that he could offer no guarantees about when an immigration reform bill might be introduced, though he did say that “progress” had been made in the difficult negotiations.

During a naturalization ceremony Monday at the White House, President Barack Obama again urged Congress to come up with a bill for immigration reform by next month.

Though that is the intention of the Group of Eight, negotiations have run into a number of stumbling blocks, such as how to control the future flow of immigration, limiting visas for families and formulating a guestworker program.

Congress will resume work the second week in April. EFE

Latin American Herald Tribune - Senate’s “Gang of 8” to Visit U.S.-Mexico Border

Posted by David Nakamura on March 27, 2013 at 3:35 pm
Washington Post

Four senators working on an immigration bill got a first-hand look at the challenges – and, perhaps, the successes – of securing the nation’s border with Mexico on Wednesday.

During a tour of border control measures in Nogales, Ariz., the foursome saw a woman successfully scale an 18-foot fence, according to an account provided by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Twitter. McCain attached a photo of himself and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on the tour, though the woman was not visible in the shot.

“Border Patrol successfully apprehended her, but incident is another reminder that threats to our border security are real,” McCain wrote in a follow-up tweet two minutes later.

The senators, including Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), were on the tour as part of their work on an eight-member bipartisan group that is developing legislation that would overhaul the nation’s immigration laws. Republicans have called for stricter border control measures as part of the bill, a provision that could be tied to a path to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants.

The Obama administration has said it supports increased enforcement efforts, but White House officials have pointed to a significant increase in resources and sharp drops in border crossings as evidence that measures added in recent years have paid dividends.

“I’ve seen it many times before,” McCain said, when asked during a news conference about the woman climbing the fence. “One of the sad things about all this is that mostly people who jump over the fence are doing that because they want a better life and I understand that. We try to separate the drug cartels from individuals who are simply trying to cross over so they can improve their lives, but at the same time we have to have a legal way of doing that.”

The senators said they are studying increases in surveillance technology that would reduce the need for more roads and border control agents.

“What I learned was that we have adequate manpower, but we don’t have adequate technology,” Schumer said.

Senators touring U.S.-Mexico border get an eyeful

McCain, Schumer Watch as Immigrant Hops Border Fence By Eliana Johnson March 27, 2013 3:32 P.M. John McCain, on a visit to the border town of Nogales, Ariz. with colleagues Chuck Schumer, Michael Bennet and Jeff Flake, bore witness, firsthand, to one of the challenges Congress will face as it attempts to craft immigration legislation: securing the border. Standing at the country’s Southern border, McCain tweeted: John McCain Just witnessed a woman successfully climb an 18-ft bollard fence a few yards from us in #Nogalespic.twitter.com/GnMwEeQwDB 6:51 PM - 27 Mar 13 Shortly thereafter, he posted an update: "Border Patrol successfully apprehended her, but incident is another reminder that threats to our border security are real 6:53 PM - 27 Mar 13" The four senators are part of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” leading the legislative effort on immigration reform. McCain, Schumer Watch as Immigrant Hops Border Fence - By Eliana Johnson - The Corner - National Review Online

Maybe the will get captured...