A new amendment in the immigration reform debate was passed unanimously on May 14. The new law allows more monitoring of foreign students, requiring the Department of Homeland Security to implement the "real-time transmission" of student visa information to databases used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents across the country in light of the recent Boston bombings. The amendment was proposed by Sen. Charles Grassley​, R-Iowa, and prompted by an alleged accomplice of the accused Boston bombers who was in the country on an expired student visa.

Although this amendment was accepted by all parties, other similar fixes were rejected, including an amendment proposed by Sen. Jeff Sessions​, R-Ala., a leading opponent of the bill, that would have required visa holders to be verified using biometric screening - like fingerprints or eye scans - when exiting the country.

"Immigration reform must include the best exit system possible because persons who overstay their authorized stay are a big reason we now have so many illegal immigrants," Alex Conant​, a spokesman for Sen. Marco Rubio, said in a statement. "We wanted the Judiciary Committee to strengthen the legislation by adding biometrics to the new exit system, and we were disappointed by this morning's vote."

Senators noted that the update to the immigration bill would patch up any gaps that still remained for terrorist threats in the country. 

"This will plug a loophole in terms of the tragic Boston Marathon bombing," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told Fox News Latino. "It really strengthens the bill and shows that our bill … is going to make things better in terms of terrorism."

Fox News Latino also reported that the committee agreed on another amendment proposed by Grassley​, which focused on ending fraud in the student visa system. After two of the Sept. 11 terrorists entered the U.S. on student visas, Grassley said that the current program needed to be fixed. His second amendment would tighten requirements for schools hosting foreign students, and prohibit schools from offering visas if they're not certified by the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration. 

Conservative members in the House of Representatives are standing firm on their opposition to a comprehensive immigration reform plan, and on May 14 they made it clear that they weren't faltering in their opinions. Amnesty continues to be the main cause for debate between Senate and House members, and House conservatives refuse to sign a bill that allows this freedom for the 11 million immigrants who do not have U.S. citizenship. 

The path to citizenship in the Senate's draft of the bill would take almost 13 years, with provisional status to be granted almost immediately to those who were in the country before 2012. Supporters refuse to call this amnesty, and opponents use the word as an indicator of a free pass for those who have lived in the country without citizenship. Those against the bill fear that the immigrants who gain U.S. citizenship will be competing for employment in an already unstable economy. 

"After legalization, they'll be eligible for virtually every job in the country," Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, told the Los Angeles Times. "People whose jobs are not threatened right now will find themselves in competition with these workers."

Worried about taxpayers being burdened by immigrants who do not seek legal citizenship, House members said that the nation cannot afford to get into any more financial debt. However, leaders also supported the immigration changes, granted that laws are enforced. 

"If the rule of law is not observed then you have chaos," Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-TX, told the Senate during debates. "Nobody behind me or anyone who supports our position wants a closed border. Immigration is a life spring, it brings additional life and rejuvenation to this country. But we have to make sure we don't get overwhelmed by those who want to destroy us."

While border security is a main concern for senators working to revamp the nation's immigration system, a less likely problem- immigrants who come to the U.S. legally but stay long after their visas expire- is another issue that government officials aim to end with new legislation. The proposed bill may adapt a system similar to Australia's, where passports are scanned upon arrival and exit of the country. The proposed U.S. Senate bill envisions a similar entry-exit system at airports and seaports to be enacted within the next five years.

"We have nearly four and a half million visa overstayers in our country," Chris Crane, National ICE Council president, told The Daily Caller. "Five thousand officers and agents can't deal with those kinds of numbers. … [It's] politics, politics politics over public safety."

According to Fox News, the U.S. originally envisioned a biometric-based system, where foreign tourists, students and businessmen would provide 10 fingerprints and eye scans when they enter and exit the country. However, this method was too expensive and time consuming. Currently, there is no exit control at the airport, so officials have no idea who has overstayed their visas.

The lack of security for student visas rings true at universities, where there is typically only one person overseeing the process. Universities, according to visa expert Luis Guerra, benefit from these visas because of the monetary charges for international students. 

Although many immigrants whose visas have expired live normal lives, work or go to school, PBS reported that 40 percent of immigrants who do not have legal citizenship are in the country with expired visas. Doris Meissner, director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute, said that this is still grounds for breaking the law. 

"There are a whole range of circumstances that lead to visa overstays, but they also are in violation of the law," she told PBS. 

The immigration reform bill, if passed in the Senate and the House of Representatives in the coming months, would require immigrants seeking citizenship to pay back all owed taxes. While requiring tax payments would give an answer to critics who say that legalization would be a form of amnesty for those who broke U.S. law by entering the country illegally, there is still no way to determine who owes what. There would have to be a secure honor system in place, since many immigrants do not have any paperwork or work history documentation. 

A recent report from the Internal Revenue Service on May 8 said that 679 immigrants abandoned U.S. citizenship to forego paying taxes. The IRS gave a list of names in a quarterly report printed in the Federal Register. The report details those individuals who have chosen to renounce their citizenship in the previous three months. 

The immigration bill in place from the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" senators leaves the responsibility of figuring out who owes taxes to the IRS, but according to the Washington Post, it doesn't give specific instructions on how to collect taxes from these individuals. The Post reported that a majority of immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship are paid under the table in cash, meaning they won't have proof of any past earnings and may not have paid taxes on their current incomes. In some cases, immigrants work under false Social Security numbers, which would only account for withheld payroll taxes. 

According to Fox News, Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is one of the 679 immigrants to renounce citizenship, favoring residence in Singapore where there is no capital gains tax. The Senate is adamant about asking immigrants to be honest when it comes to paying taxes in the future when the new laws are in place. 

The annual green card lottery, which has been going on since 1995, could be cut with new immigration legislation, according to reports. The lottery system awards permanent residency to 50,000 people from countries that have citizens who do not emigrate to the U.S. in large numbers. This lottery has recently been under attack from the House of Representatives, which plans to eliminate the lottery in the coming months as the new immigration bill is underway. 

According to The Washington Post, the program aims to give a more diverse group of immigrants a chance to gain U.S. citizenship. The source reports that the lottery is popular among immigrants because it allows citizenship with almost no strings attached. Last year alone, 8 million individuals applied. Countries that send more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States each year are not eligible to participate in the lottery. 

"In my country, whole cities wait to hear the results of this lottery," Ermais Amirat, an Ethiopian lottery winner living in Alexandria, Va., told the source. "I can't believe they would take it away. We may not earn a lot, but on $200 a month, your whole family can survive back home."

As a compromise from the Senate in the ongoing immigration debate, the lottery would be "quietly" eliminated by 2014. Lawmakers have said that the lottery has become a place for scam artists to earn citizenship, and it has lost the original goals it was used for in the past. Others argue that it promotes legal immigration and it is one of the only ways for African immigrants to gain citizenship. If the "Gang of Eight" legislation passes in the House of Representatives, the last lottery would have been in October 2012. Those participating in the lottery are required to apply for citizenship online almost two years before being potentially selected. 

Supporters of the lottery say that the program is small and it wouldn't do any harm to keep it around. 

"Diversity visas are one of the few ways people from Africa and the Caribbean can come to this country," Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.) said in an interview, as told to The Washington Post. "… But why do we need to cut a program where millions of people are competing for only 55,000 visas? I'm sorry, but I just can't accept that."

The numbers show that almost half of the lottery spots are reserved for individuals from countries in Africa, where applicants only need a high school diploma or two years of work experience for eligibility. 

"It has proven to be a way of helping those who come from the continent of Africa, those who come from a number of other areas where it is very difficult to get a visa," Sheila Jackson Lee, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, told The Economic Times.

Others say that the lottery relies on the "luck of the draw," and that every person should have an equal chance to get citizenship. The odds of winning are slim, but a lucky ticket could mean citizenship for an entire family. 

"Participating in the lottery was, for me, a way to take the fast lane to immigration," Nathaniel Assayag, a French engineering student, told the Daily Nation.

Although a clean criminal record is necessary to get a lottery ticket, some argue that because there are such low requirements, it could help terrorists enter the United States. However, most winners are just happy to have gotten lucky and look forward to improving their lives. 

"I'm still in shock," Mamina Ezra told Agence France-Presse after winning the lottery on her 11th try. "I was so used to losing that this has really shocked me."

New immigration reform legislation could have a positive effect on social security and retirement expenses. In a letter to Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a member of the "Gang of Eight" Senators, analysts at the Social Security Administration said the overall effect of the bill on Social Security's finances could create a net 3.22 million jobs over the next decade and boost U.S. gross domestic product by 1.63 percentage points over that same period. The letter came days after a report from the Heritage Foundation showed that the new bill could cost taxpayers trillions of dollars.

"We estimate a significant increase in both the population and the number of workers paying taxes in the United States as a result of these changes in legal immigration limits," SSA wrote in the letter. 

Social Security Actuary Chief Stephen Goss said most immigrants who do not have citizenship don't pay taxes. He noted that providing immigrants with a path to citizenship will allow them to be included in taxes, thus helping the nation's economy. In addition, Goss projected that if the bill's security stipulations were designed to reduce illegal immigration in the U.S. by half , it would create a positive net growth for the nation's retirement program.

Senator Marco Rubio said that the Heritage Foundation study is not accurate, and that more people in the system will mean more people paying taxes and benefiting the United States economy.  

"The study is not a legitimate study," Rubio said on "CBS This Morning" on May 9. "It overestimates the number of people that are going to be counted in the system … it includes four million kids that are already living here now … a quarter of the costs are for traffic and police and … public services that are already being provided."

This information comes as the Senate prepares to debate amendments to the new legislation. Vice President Joe Biden said he is hopeful that the bill will be completed by the end of the summer. 

Vice President Joe Biden spoke at the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies' gala on May 8, and said that he hopes for immigration reform legislation to be completed by the end of the summer. He emphasized the importance of maintaining dignity throughout the nation as the decisions come to a close, and said that there are still many discussions that the Senate must have to come up with a respectful decision. 

"There are a lot of tough decisions that have to be made," Biden said in his speech. "In some countries, that means, as we say in this country, that the elites have to pay their fair share, pay for the police in the streets and the basic services for the poor. In other places it means taking on corruption head on. In the United States, that means reforming our immigration system - 11 million undocumented men, women and children being able to come out of the shadows and be full participants in American life."

Biden said that he was committed to a "genuine immigration reform," one that would "dignify" all of the different nationalities of the immigrants who want U.S. citizenship. Biden recently announced that he is heading to Brazil and Colombia soon to support President Barack Obama in the mission to get Latin American nations on board with building trade with the United States and stabilizing the economy. Obama and Biden are hopeful that these tactics will help strengthen border security. 

The Senate will meet on May 9 to begin amending the immigration bill, and supporters hope that it won't get too much opposition from conservatives. According to CNN, conservative leaders released a joint statement on May 9 that pushes support for the bill and calls it "an important starting point." 

Lawmakers gathered on May 7 to file a long list of amendments regarding the "Gang of Eight" immigration reform legislation. The number of amendments filed is a precursor to the weeks of debates that will decide the fate of the new immigration laws. According to The Washington Post, most of the 301 amendments filed were from Senate Republicans. These amendments requested to give Congress more authority over borer security, to require illegal immigrants to provide DNA samples before gaining legal status and to reduce the number of immigrant workers who would be eligible to gain citizenship.

"The intent seems to be to upset the careful bipartisan balance negotiated by the Gang of Eight in hopes of sinking the bill," Frank Sharry of America's Voice, a pro-immigrant group, told Fox News. "The good news is this: If the pro-reform Republicans and Democrats on the committee hang together they should be able to stave off the attacks by opponents."

The Senate Judiciary Committee will begin considering the amendments Thursday, and the hearings will likely take place over the next few weeks. Among the biggest issues up for debate are two amendments filed by Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., to extend immigration rights to gay citizens and permanent residents, allowing them to petition for U.S. residence for their partners just as straight, married Americans can. This has sparked serious concern from Gang of Eight members who say that this legislation would cost them support from conservatives. 

Although some have doubts about the state of the immigration bill, supporters say that Republicans will come around as long as border security remains a top priority.

"Most of the suggestions we have heard raise legitimate points and suggestions on how to improve the bill," Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told The Post. "The good news is that . . . most conservatives are ready to support immigration reform, so long as it takes serious steps to prevent another wave of illegal immigration in the future."

Immigration reform has taken Hollywood by storm, and more than 100 celebrities have signed a letter to President Barack Obama and members of Congress urging them to pass an immigration bill that creates a clear path to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants in the United States who are not recognized as legal. Those who signed the bill include high profile artists, musicians, actors, producers and performers who want Congress to acknowledge the hope and dignity of the American immigrant story. 

The petition, featured on Migrationisbeautiful.com, says that "Some immigrants have waited almost a quarter of a century to be reunited with family members. With federal policy in tatters, states have passed immoral laws of questionable constitutionality that profile, isolate, and criminalize immigrants. A broken and unjust immigration policy is bad for us all- it erodes the social fabric and undermines our shared values of equity and empathy."

Those who signed this letter to the president include Rosario Dawson, The Roots, Sarah Silverman and My Morning Jacket among many others. Jeff Chang, executive director of Stanford University's Institute for Diversity in the Arts and founding member of The Culture Group and CultureStrike, told Broadway World that without immigrants, the United States culture would be diminished, and that this effort by American celebrities is a way to preserve the diversity of this country. 

"Audrey Hepburn, Igor Stravinsky, Claude McKay, Gertrude Stein, Bruce Lee, and Celia Cruz are among the innumerable immigrants who have helped to shape our vibrant nation," Chang told the source. "We are all stronger when we celebrate our diversity and welcome those who are seeking the American dream of inclusion and opportunity."

Although the petition will make headlines and spread awareness, skeptics like Roy Beck, executive director for NumbersUSA, told USA Today that the media attention will not likely do anything to sway Republicans to pass the "Gang of Eight" legislation. 

The immigration overhaul has just begun, and there are hurdles that lawmakers still must face to reform a broken U.S. immigration system. As members of the Senate prepare to vote on immigration legislation this week, they're ready to face the challenges that erupted in 2007 - the last time that an immigration reform bill was brought to the Congress floor. 

Although some have been optimistic about the changes ahead, those who oppose the bill voice deep concerns despite the efforts of conservative supporter Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to sell the legislation to them and other conservative opinion leaders.

"The supporters promoted the bill aggressively before anybody saw the language, and certain Republicans and conservative voices sort of held their fire, but that's beginning to change," Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala told The Associated Press.

Conservatives suggested that the bill should be broken up in a way that would give voters a piece-by-piece option. However, even though conservatives are on a different track, they'd still have to deal with the legislation's cost to taxpayers. According to former Senator Jim DeMint, current president of the Heritage Foundation, the immigration reform plan released by the "Gang of Eight" would cost Americans "trillions of dollars."

However, backers of the bill have been working hard to build alliances and strategies aimed at avoiding the mistakes of 2007 when critics largely defined the bill and some supporters ended up turning against it. Still, the final plans will have to play out as the reform strategies are brought to the congressional floor. 

"There's been a lot of posturing, a lot of talk," Dan Holler, communications director for Heritage Action for America, the Heritage Foundation's activist arm, told AP. "We haven't really gotten to the heart of the debate yet. We have the right policy, the numbers are going to be there, and the debate is going to shift. And no amount of ads will be able to shift it back."