JURIST - Paper Chase: Senate rejects 'security first' amendment to immigration bill

[JURIST] The US Senate [official website] on Tuesday rejected a conservative amendment to proposed immigration legislation [text] that would have required new US border security measures to be fully completed and fully operational before the government could implement a program for illegal immigrants to earn citizenship as proposed by President Bush during his immigration reform address [JURIST report] Monday night. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) [official website], was defeated 55-40 [roll call]. The Senate then adopted [vote list] a competing amendment by Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) [official website], allowing the President to implement the provisions of the bill when he deems them to be in the national interest. AP has more.

Meanwhile, a range of critics assailed other aspects of Bush's immigration reform plan. Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) [official website] expressed skepticism about the deployment of up to 6,000 members of the National Guard to support the US Border Patrol [official website], calling it a "stop-gap measure." Immigration rights activists in San Francisco marched in protest [AP report], urging the US not to "militarize" the border. AP has more.

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