109th Congress / Senate / 2nd session / Vote 157
- Question: On Passage of the Bill
- Bill: S 2611
- Vote description: S. 2611 As Amended; Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006
- Vote type: 1/2 (Help)
- Result: Passed, 62-36, with 2 not voting.
- Date/time: May 25, 2006, 5:39 p.m.
- Republican majority opinion: No (Help)
- Democrat majority opinion: Yes (Help)
Key Vote Analysis
This immigration reform bill would tighten border security, establish an immigrant guest worker program, and offer a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants already in the United States. President Bush has expressed support for the bill's major provisions. Opponents have said the bill rewards immigrants who entered the United States illegally and leaves the country vulnerable to security threats at the border. Supporters argue the measure recognizes economic and social reality of immigrant populations in the United States and provides hope of legal immigration status and a path to citizenship for law-abiding immigrants who come to the U.S. to work.
The Washington Post reported that the Senate bill "sets the stage for a summer clash with House conservatives, who passed a starkly different immigration measure in December." The House bill toughened penalties for entering the country illegally and tightened border security, but provided no new guest worker or "path to citizenship" programs.
The Senate bill calls for a 370-mile fence along the Mexican border, 6,000 National Guard troops to support border agents, aerial surveillance, road construction to aid border patrols, and other border security measures. It would also establish a guest-worker program and a three-tiered system for dealing with the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the country:
Tier 1:
Illegal immigrants who have been in the country five years or longer would be allowed to stay and apply for citizenship, provided they pay back taxes, learn English and have no serious criminal records.
Tier 2:
Illegal immigrants who have been in the United States two to five years would eventually have to return to a point of entry in Mexico or Canada and apply for a green card, which could allow their immediate return.
Tier 3:
The roughly 2 million immigrants who have been in the United States illegally for less than two years would be ordered home.
Senate and House negotiators will meet in what is expected to be a contentious conference committee this summer to attempt to hammer out a compromise bill.
See other key votes in the 109th Congress
