Sen. Flake tours San Luis border; promotes immigration reform

Posted: Mar 26, 2013 6:30 PM PDT
Story by Karen Castro
kswt.com

SAN LUIS, AZ - For the first time since winning the November election, U.S. Senator Jeff Flake visited Yuma.

He made two pit stops where the main focus of discussion was comprehensive immigration reform. He met with Yuma County Board of Supervisors and with agents near the San Luis Port of Entry.

Senator Jeff Flake spoke to the media briefly before taking a tour of the U.S-Mexico border. He was accompanied by several border patrol agents.

Senator Flake, Senator John McCain and six others, who are known as the gang of eight, are in the middle of immigration reform negotiations. Flake says this is the closest congressional leaders have been to agreeing on a bipartisan immigration reform bill.

The newly elected senator says under the bill currently in the works about 11 million undocumented immigrants will be granted a lengthy pathway to citizenship.

As far as border security, Senator Flake says it's a priority but it's going to be difficult in a time when many Homeland Security agencies, including border patrol, are facing steep budget cuts.

Flake says the Gang of Eight hopes to have an immigration reform bill ready to go by April.

Sen. Flake tours San Luis border; promotes immigration reform - | News for Yuma, Imperial Valley, El Centro, AZ & CA