Democrats' immigration plan shows shift toward Republican views

As rallies protesting the controversial Arizona immigration law unfold in 80 U.S. cities Saturday, a new Senate Democratic plan to overhaul the nation's immigration laws shows how far the debate has shifted to the right since Congress took up the issue in 2007, advocates on both sides said.

The Democrats' legislative "framework" includes a slew of new immigration enforcement measures aimed at U.S. borders and workplaces. It would further expand the 20,000-member Border Patrol; triple fines against U.S. employers that hire illegal immigrants; and, most controversially, require all American workers -- citizens and noncitizens alike -- to get new Social Security cards linked to their fingerprints to ease checks of their work eligibility.

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