Senate adds triple fencing to immigration bill
Vote is a victory for Alabama senator who has been pushing for security.

Since 05-18-06

By DENA BUNIS
The Orange County Register

Wednesday, May 17, 2006
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1144780.php

WASHINGTON – The Senate voted 83-16 this afternoon to authorize 370 miles of triple fences along the southern border as part of the comprehensive immigration overhaul being debated this week.

The vote was a victory for Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., who has been pushing the Senate toward more enforcement and border security in the bill that also includes a new guest worker program and a plan to legalize an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants.

"It sends a signal that open border days are over," said Sessions. "It's a reasonable proposal. It does not overreach and builds on the provisions that were in the bill."

The original Senate bill had 12 miles of fencing near urban areas in Arizona and 200 miles of vehicle barriers. Drafters of the bill said that instead, they were including a "virtual" fence, meaning technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles, increased sensors and lighting to stop illegal immigrants from crossing into the United States.

The House-passed enforcement bill includes 700 miles of border fencing in high-traffic areas.

"The idea is to effectively fence a quarter of the border on the south," said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who voted against the amendment. "That's a down payment on fencing the whole border."

Supporters of the original bill – drafted by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Kennedy, successfully beat back a challenge to one of the fundamental sections of the legislation – an undocumented immigrant legalization plan.

An amendment by Sen. John Vitter, R-La., to strike that section of the bill failed 33 to 66.

Lawmakers who support the bill are optimistic that the measure will be passed by Memorial Day. That would set up a reconciliation conference with the House, which last year passed an enforcement-only measure.

This morning, senators voted 99 to 0 to ban convicted felons and those who eschewed an order of deportation from taking advantage of either the new guest worker program or the new legalization program.

"The one thing we should all agree upon here is you're not adding value to the country when you openly admit people who are criminals," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., part of a bipartisan coalition shepherding the sweeping legislation through the Senate over the next two weeks.

The amendment embraced by the entire Senate this morning was originally viewed as a "poison pill" amendment. Supporters of expanded immigration argued that many of the people who didn't obey orders of deportation never received notices of the hearings because of the nomadic nature of many immigrants.

In addition to barring felons, the amendment would eliminate anyone convicted of three misdemeanors from participating in any new program.

Throughout the day Tuesday, lawmakers had worked to fashion a compromise.

A waiver was added to the amendment so that anyone who could prove they never received proper notice or who could show that being deported would cause a hardship for their family – that includes U.S. citizens or legal residents – would still be able to participate in the new programs.

"We want to keep those who could harm us, the criminal element, out," said Kennedy, who originally opposed the amendment, authored by Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and John Cornyn, R-Texas. "Those who could benefit us ought to remain."