The legislation would mark the most significant changes in immigration law in two decades. The bill contains a guest-worker program and offers undocumented workers a path to legal residence and even citizenship (after paying fines). It is far more immigrant-friendly than the House version. Now comes the fight over reconciling the two bills.

AP:

WASHINGTON – Legislation to secure U.S. borders and offer millions of illegal immigrants access to the American dream cleared the Senate on Thursday, a rare election-year reach across party lines and a triumph for President Bush.

The 62-36 vote cleared the way for arduous summertime compromise talks with the House on its version that focuses on border enforcement ? with no guarantee of success.

“Why not say to those undocumented workers who are working the jobs that the rest of us refuse, come out from the shadows,” said Arizona Republican John McCain, a key architect of the bill.

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