The U.S. Senate has added and passed two immigration-related amendments to the upcoming Fiscal Year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations bill.

The first amendment, sponsored by Senator Sessions (R-AL), proposes to reauthorize the Basic Pilot/E-Verify program and require that all federal contractors and subcontractors use the web-based compliance service. An additional sub-amendment was attached to this amendment by Senator Leahy (D-VT) that would permanently authorize the EB-5 Regional Centers program. These amendments were agreed to by a voice vote.

The second amendment, sponsored by Senator DeMint (R-SC), proposes to require the completion of a minimum of 700 miles of reinforced fencing along the Southwest border of the U.S. by the end of 2010. This amendment passed by a vote of 54 to 44.

If the overall appropriations bill is passed by the Senate, the bill will then go to conference, where representatives from the House and the Senate will then work to reconcile differences between their two versions of the bill.