Senate 'Gang of Eight' releases immigration bill

WASHINGTON -- After months of late-night negotiations, a bipartisan group of senators finally released their immigration bill early Wednesday morning that allows the nation's 11 million unauthorized immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenship and tightens security along the nation's southwest border.

The 844-page bill was sponsored by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and co-sponsored by his colleagues in the so-called Gang of Eight that came together to draft what would be the first major overhaul to the nation's immigration laws since 1986.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a key member of the group who has been responsible for selling the bill to conservative members of the Republican Party, said the final product represents a "tough but humane" way to deal with the nation's unauthorized immigrants while securing the border and fixing the legal immigration system to better suit the nation's economy.

"While I believe this legislation is a strong conservative effort that will accomplish all these things and tries to make the best of the imperfect reality we face, it's not perfect," Rubio said in a statement Wednesday. "But I am also confident that an open and transparent process that welcomes public input is going to make it even better."

The Senate Judiciary committee has scheduled hearings on Friday and Monday to tackle the complicated bill.