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Saturday, 30 September 2006, 03:47 GMT 04:47 UK
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<h2>US Senate approves border fence</h2>


<!-- S BO --><!-- S BO -->
<!-- S IIMA -->
	

	
		<img height="152" hspace="4" align="left" vspace="4" border="0" width="203" alt="A construction worker with the Utah National Guard helps build a wall along the border with Mexico" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41793000/jpg/_41793588_wall_b203_afp.jpg" />
	
<!-- E IIMA -->
<!-- S SF -->
<B>The US Senate has overwhelmingly endorsed the building of a fence along part of the border with Mexico, in an effort to curb illegal immigration.</B>
<P>
The bill was approved by a vote of 80-19 - with leading Democrats such as Hillary Clinton joining the Republican majority that had proposed the measure.
<P>
The bill must be reconciled with a similar move passed in the House of Representatives last week.
<P>
Mexico has said the fence will badly affect relations with the US.
<!-- E SF -->
<P>
Supporters of the 700-mile fence (1,125km) fence said it was a crucial tool to fight illegal immigration - which is expected to be a key issue in November's mid-term elections.
<P>
<B>Mexican protest</B>
<P>
An estimated 1.2m illegal immigrants were arrested last year trying to cross into the US along the border states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
<P>
Sections of the fence would be built in each state. One segment is already under construction in California.
<P>
When completed the fence will cover one-third of the length of the US-Mexican border.
<P>
Mexico has repeatedly condemned the plan.
<P>
On Friday Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez called it a "gesture that doesn't reflect the friendship between the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean and the United States".
<P>
He added that Mexican migrants were "not terrorists" - but people looking for work opportunities.
<P>
Earlier this year the Senate passed broad immigration legislation combining border security with a plan to create a guest-worker program for illegal immigrants living in the US.
<P>
The Senate and House were unable to reach agreement and instead resorted to passing a series narrow border security measures.
<P>
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