WASHINGTON (By David Espo, Associated
Press) April 23, 2006 Majority Leader Bill Frist intends to seek
Senate passage of immigration legislation by Memorial Day, hoping to
revive a bill that would tighten border security and give millions of
undocumented immigrants a chance at citizenship, Republican leadership
aides said Friday.
In a gesture to conservative critics of the measure, Frist and other
Republicans also intend to seek roughly $2 billion in immediate
additional spending for border protection.
The aides said the money would allow for training of Border Patrol
agents, construction of detention facilities for immigrants caught
entering the country illegally, the purchase of helicopters and
surveillance aircraft, and construction of a fence in high-traffic
areas.
The aides spoke on the condition of anonymity, saying they did not want
to pre-empt a formal announcement.
Frist's decision signals a determination by Republicans to press for
passage of election-year legislation. The issue has triggered large,
peaceful street protests by immigrants' rights supporters as well as
internal disputes in both political parties and partisan bickering.
A sweeping immigration bill was gridlocked as lawmakers left town two
weeks ago after Frist and Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada
failed to agree on a procedure for voting on amendments sought by
Republicans opposed to the bill. Supporters of the measure claimed at
the time that they had as many as 70 votes for the bill, and Reid drew
criticism from at least one prominent group supporting the measure.
A spokesman for Reid, Jim Manley, said in a statement late Friday,
"Democrats will strongly support efforts to secure our borders, but
under President Bush our immigration system has become broken." He said
the only way to fix the system is for Bush, Frist and Sen. John McCain,
R-Ariz., a lead sponsor of immigration legislation, "to stand up to the
right wing of their party" and work with Democrats.
Bush has urged Congress to approve a bill that would tighten border
security and at the sane time address the problem of the 11 million to
12 million men, women and children in the country illegally.
House Republicans have passed a bill limited to border security, but
leaders have signaled they would be receptive to broader legislation.
The measure at the center of the Senate stalemate would provide for
stronger border security, regulate the future entry of foreign workers
and create regulations for those in the country illegally. Officials
said about 9 million of them, those who could show they had been in the
United States for more than two years, would eventually become eligible
for citizenship under the proposal.
Critics of the measure argue that it amounts to amnesty, and they have
worked over the past two weeks to undermine its support. But Bush has
made it clear he wants legislation, and some Republicans hope they can
send him a bill and gain credit with voters increasingly dissatisfied
with Congress.
The attempt to add $2 billion to border security spending is expected
next week, when the Senate is due to debate legislation providing more
funding for the war in Iraq and relief from last fall's hurricanes.
Critics of the bill have argued that it makes little sense to pass
legislation affecting the current population of undocumented immigrants
as long as the border remains porous.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has said that he intends to
increase enforcement efforts at job sites.
Federal agents on Wednesday arrested seven current and former managers
of IFCO Systems, a manufacturer of crates and pallets, on criminal
charges, and more than 1,100 people were arrested on administrative
immigration charges at more than 40 IFCO sites in the United States.
