On Thursday, June 27, the U.S. Senate passed with a vote of 68 to 32 the
Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization
Act. This is a key component of immigration reform that is a compromise
between members of the Democratic and Republican parties. The bill
contains components to boost the U.S. economy, implement stronger border
security measures and offer protections for undocumented immigrants
currently in the U.S.
Before being enacted into law, this bill must be approved by the House
of Representative, which remains divided on the issue of immigration
reform.
“If enacted, the Senate bill would establish the most aggressive border
security plan in our history,” said President Obama in a recent
statement. “It would offer a pathway to earned citizenship for the 11
million individuals who are in this country illegally – a pathway that
includes passing a background check, learning English, paying taxes and a
penalty, and then going to the back of the line behind everyone who’s
playing by the rules and trying to come here legally. It would modernize
the legal immigration system so that it once again reflects our values
as a nation and addresses the urgent needs of our time. And it would
provide a big boost to our recovery, by shrinking our deficits and
growing our economy.”
