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June 27, 2013

Senate Approves Border Amendment; Immigrant Rights Advocates, Mexico Voice Protests 
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The Senate has approved an amendment to the immigration reform bill that
radically expands enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border. The $46
billion measure would nearly double the number of border agents to
40,000, expand the use of drones and construct around 700 miles of
border fencing. The amendment was approved by an overwhelming vote of 69
to 29. Republicans introduced it in a bid to win their colleagues'
support for the immigration bill's broader proposal to extend an
eventual path to citizenship to millions of undocumented people. But now
a number of immigrant rights groups are voicing concerns the added
"security" requirements are so extreme they undermine the bill overall.
In a statement, leaders of the nation's largest Latino advocacy group,
Presente.org, said they cannot support the immigration bill "in good
conscience" if it is also "guaranteed to increase death and destruction
through increased militarization of the border." The Mexican government
is also voicing similar concerns. In his first public comments on the
new requirements, Foreign Minister José Antonio Meade criticized the
building of more barriers along the border.

Mexican Foreign Minister José Antonio Meade: "We're convinced that a
wall is not the solution for the migration phenomena and is not
congruent with a modern and secure border. It does not contribute to the
development of a competitive region that both countries are looking for
and support."

Final passage of the Senate immigration bill could come as early as
today. It faces an uncertain future in the House, where Speaker John
Boehner has said he will not allow a vote without a majority of
Republican support.

 

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