Legal Immigration Focus Of Senate Panel

WASHINGTON (AP) — Legal immigration is the focus as the Senate Judiciary Committee resumes the work of amending legislation overhauling the U.S. immigration system.

Amendments expected to be offered Tuesday could reshape a painstakingly negotiated deal between business and labor on a visa program for lower-skilled workers. Attention will be on the four senators on the committee who are among the bill's eight authors to see whether they can stick together to fend off the changes.

There's also a dispute over provisions in the bill dealing with high-skilled workers.

And the committee may make changes to address shortcomings in the student visa program after the Boston Marathon bombings. A foreign student accused of hiding evidence was allowed to return to the U.S. in January without a valid student visa.

ERICA WERNER,Associated Press

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.