Napolitano to talk immigration before Senate panel

[April 23, 2013]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican senators skeptical of new immigration legislation and of the Obama administration's record on border security are getting a chance to question Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano (neh-pahl-ih-TAN'-oh).

Napolitano was appearing Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee at its third hearing on a bipartisan immigration bill that aims to strengthen border security, improve legal immigration and create a path to citizenship for some 11 million people here illegally.

She originally was scheduled to appear last Friday but that was canceled because of the Boston Marathon bombings.

Napolitano's appearance comes after a daylong hearing Monday that exposed deep divisions on the immigration bill, with Republicans arguing it does too little on border security and some also saying the measure should be re-examined in light of the events in Boston.

[Associated Press; By ERICA WERNER]

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