An immigration bill in Washington now has the support of Illinois's top Republican. U.S. Senator Mark Kirk announced Thursday he'll get behind the measure. That's after key lawmakers reached a compromise on border security. The deal would almost double the number of federal agents along the U.S.-Mexico border. It would also require construction of 700 miles of border fencing.
Kirk had faced growing criticism from immigration advocates for his earlier stance on the proposal.
Here is the statement posted on Kirk's website:
Over the last few days, I worked with my colleagues to craft a two-step immigration reform that first secures our southern border and then creates a tough but fair path to citizenship for immigrants living illegally in the United States. This bipartisan compromise will restore the people’s trust in our ability to control the border and bring 525,000 people in Illinois out of the shadows. Once the Senate adopts our amendment, I will be proud to vote for a bill that secures our border and respects our heritage as an immigrant nation.