US immigration bill confronts many amendments

Democratic and Republican senators have filed hundreds of amendments to a landmark immigration bill that will face its first votes this week in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Democratic and Republican senators have filed hundreds of amendments to a landmark immigration bill that will face its first votes this week in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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Many amendments filed by Republicans aim to boost border security and employment enforcement provisions in the bill. Supporters say that in some cases the real intent is to kill the legislation, because far-reaching amendments would upend the fragile deal between four Democratic and four Republican senators who wrote the bill.

Democratic amendments also pose challenges, particularly measures by Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, to extend immigration rights to same-sex couples and allow them to petition to make their partners U.S. citizens.

Republican supporters of the legislation say including such a provision would cost their support.