Immigration Barriers

The Senate built hope for immigrants, but also backed the building of a massive border fence along the southern United States Wednesday in increasingly emotional debate over election year immigration legislation.

While endorsing a chance at citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants, Congress also voted to build 370 miles of triple-layered fencing along the Mexican border. Taken together, the votes gave fresh momentum to legislation that closely follows President Bush's call for a major overhaul of the nation's troubled immigration system.

The vote was 66-33 against a proposal that would have removed provisions giving an eventual chance at citizenship to illegal immigrants who have been in the country more than two years.

A few minutes earlier, the Senate had voted 83-16 in favor of construction of the fence and 500 miles of vehicle barriers, the first significant victory in two days for conservatives seeking to place their stamp on the measure.

The developments unfolded in a volatile political environment. The White House struggled for a second day to ease the concerns of House Republicans who contend that President Bush favors amnesty for illegal immigrants, and demonstrators massed a few blocks from the Capitol demanding immigrant rights.

CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports immigration activists didn't stop at the foot of the U.S. Capitol Building Wednesday — they walked right through the doors and into the offices of members of Congress.

Members of the "We Are America" coalition, who hope to use the demonstrations as the foundation of a political movement, won an on-the-spot audience with Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., who told Attkisson: "I think it could change minds because it puts a human face on it."

Construction of the barrier would send "a signal that open-border days are over," said Sen. Jeff Sessions. "Good fences make good neighbors, fences don't make bad neighbors."

The Alabama Republican adds that border areas where barriers already exist have experienced economic improvement and reduced crime.

"What we have here has become a symbol for the right wing in American politics," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., arguing against the fence.

The Senate labored to complete by next week immigration legislation that generally follows an outline President Bush set out in a nationally televised speech on Monday.

The measure includes provisions to strengthen border security, create a new guest worker program and crack down on the hiring of illegal immigrants.

Most controversially, it offers an eventual chance at citizenship for many of the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country. Senate Republicans staged an impromptu, occasionally emotional debate over whether that amounted to amnesty.

Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana said it did. "Surely this is a pardon from what present law says must happen," he said of provisions in the bill that require immigrants to undergo background checks, pay back taxes and take other steps before they can become citizens.

Sens. John McCain and Chuck Hagel replied heatedly it was not amnesty.

"Let's stop the nonsense," said Hagel, addressing fellow Republicans. "You all know it's not amnesty." Said McCain, addressing Vitter, "Call it a banana if you want to... to call the process that we require under this legislation amnesty - frankly distorts the debate and it's an unfair interpretation of it."

Vitter sought the last word. "Methinks thou dost protest too much."

The clash erupted after Vitter sought a change in the legislation to strip out provisions of the bill that would allow for guest worker programs and give some illegal immigrants a chance at citizenship. The immigrant groups protesting didn't try to touch the hardest opponents of more accepting immigration legislation, though, Attkisson reports. For instance, they didn't call on Rep. Tom Tacredo, R-Colo., who wants to send all illegal immigrants home.

Hundreds of miles from the protests in Washington, Mexicans along the border in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, dismiss U.S. plans to send National Guard troops to the border as a futile effort that will only fuel the booming drug- and migrant-smuggling industry.

And with heavily armed Mexican soldiers in this border city, some worry the U.S. troop buildup could spark confrontations in an area where it is often difficult to tell where Mexico ends and the United States begins.

Gilberto Areola, who lives about 20 feet from the border in the Mexican city of Nogales, near Arizona, said he will feel uneasy with soldiers patrolling the other side.

"It makes me a little scared," said Areola, 54, looking at the walled border as he stood in his doorway. "A stray bullet could affect us since we live so close to the line. I think this could cause more violence."

Tensions in both countries have been rising over increased violence spawned by drug battles, the human-smuggling industry and recent border scuffles.

Blanca Estela Aguilar, a 24-year-old party services saleswoman in Nuevo Laredo, said that with the introduction of National Guard troops she believes clashes between the two sides are likely.

"We are going to see a confrontation between troops over there and police here," she predicted. "It could be in the long or short term, but it will happen. And many people are likely to die."

The White House Wednesday dispatched political operative Karl Rove to talk immigration issues at a weekly closed-door meeting held by members of the House.

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, an outspoken opponent of the Senate bill, derided the effort. "I didn't see it was a persuasive event. If it was about Karl Rove seeking to convince members of Congress after debate that he's right and we're wrong it would have been better not to have the meeting," he said.

King said Rove told lawmakers Mr. Bush is sincere about enforcement. But, he added, "The president doesn't want to enforce immigration law because he's afraid he'll inconvenience someone who wants to come into the country for a better life."

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., agreed that Rove did not seem to have been persuasive. "It's not the kind of issue you can compromise on; either you're giving amnesty to people who are here illegally or you aren't."

At the White House, press secretary Tony Snow defended Mr. Bush against criticism. "The president is actually taking a more aggressive role on border security than the House itself took," he said. "That is the sort of thing that is going to answer a lot of the complaints that we have heard."

The National Capital Immigration Coalition organized the afternoon demonstration on the National Mall a few blocks from where lawmakers debated the issue they cared about.

"This is a critical moment. We oppose the militarization of the U.S-Mexican border," said Juan Jose Gutierrez, one of the event's organizers.