WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) issued the following statement today after voting to begin debate on the comprehensive immigration reform legislation, S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act:
"I was very encouraged with the strong, bipartisan vote to restart the debate on comprehensive immigration reform in the U.S. Senate.
"We still have a long way to go before immigration reform becomes law, and as it progresses in the Senate I will be looking to make sure it supports New Mexico's interests as a border state. We need to ensure the final bill strikes the right balance between securing the border, holding employers accountable for hiring undocumented immigrants and providing an earned path to citizenship for the 11 plus million undocumented immigrants currently in the country.
"I commend the work of the 'Gang of Eight' and members of the Judiciary Committee who helped get us to this point after several weeks of debating and amending this bill in an open and bipartisan manner.
"Our immigration system is broken, and now is the time for us to fix it. The American people are counting on us, and we lose if we do nothing."
