On Thursday, the United States Senate passed a historic immigration reform bill that would provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants. The bill, which was passed by a 68-32 vote, is the first major overhaul of the nation’s immigration system in nearly three decades.
The bill, which was crafted by a bipartisan group of eight senators, would create a 13-year pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States. It would also create a new visa program for low-skilled workers, strengthen border security, and create a new system for employers to verify the legal status of their workers.
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives, where it faces an uncertain future. House Speaker John Boehner has said that he will not bring the Senate bill to the floor for a vote, and instead will pursue a piecemeal approach to immigration reform.
The Senate bill has been hailed as a major victory for immigration reform advocates, who have long argued that the nation’s immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed. President Obama praised the Senate’s passage of the bill, saying that it was a “historic step” towards fixing the nation’s broken immigration system.
The bill’s passage is also seen as a major victory for the Latino community, which has long been pushing for comprehensive immigration reform. The bill would provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, many of whom are of Latino descent.
The bill’s passage is also seen as a major victory for the business community, which has long argued that the nation’s immigration system needs to be reformed in order to attract and retain talented workers. The bill would create a new visa program for low-skilled workers, which would help businesses fill jobs that are currently going unfilled.
The Senate’s passage of the immigration reform bill is a major victory for immigration reform advocates, the Latino community, and the business community. Now, the focus shifts to the House of Representatives, where the bill faces an uncertain future.