Back in the United States, the Senate overwhelming passed its version of the immigration bill Thursday, setting the stage for a showdown with a competing version in the House. Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy hailed the measure as a major compromise.

• Sen. Edward Kennedy: “This is the most far reaching immigration reform in our history. It is a comprehensive and realistic attempt to solve the real-world problems that have festered for too long in our broken immigration system. It strengthens our security and reflect our humanity. It is intended to keep out those who would harm us, and welcome those who would contribute to our country. It has the potential to build a stronger, better, fairer America for the 21st century. It protects our security through stricter enforcement and tamper-proof immigration cards, and high-tech border controls. It protects American jobs and wages, by bringing immigrants out of the shadows and requiring employers to pay fair American wages.”

The legislation would offer many of the country’s estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship. But critics say the bill would make it easier for immigrants to be detained and denied fair hearings. The bill establishes possession of “fraudulent documents” as grounds for deportation — even if those documents were used to flee oppressive regimes. Timothy Sparapani, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, said: “We had counted on senators taking the time to eliminate … the unwise and unsound provisions that strike due process. And the Senate failed to do its job.”