Border Security Deal Brings GOP Votes to Immigration Bill

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Border Security Deal Brings GOP Votes to Immigration Bill

June 24, 2013

The NY Times reports that the deal “nearly doubles the current border patrol force to 40,000 agents from 21,000” at a cost of roughly $25 Billion, and will likely “attract the support of roughly 15 Republicans for the legislation.” If the bill passes the Senate with broad bipartisan support, that would improve the bill’s chances in the Republican-controlled House.

Republicans in the Senate had previously pushed for a different agreement on border security. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, under that version of the bill “immigrants in the U.S. illegally would not gain green cards…until law-enforcement officials are monitoring the entire southern border and stopping 90% of people crossing illegally in certain areas.” This measure could have caused an indefinite delay in triggering the pathway to citizenship, and was opposed by the White House and immigrant rights groups.