Sen. Franken: Immigration Reform Bill Good For MN

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A U.S. senator said a reform bill isn't just good for our broken immigration system. At the State Capitol Monday afternoon, Sen. Al Franken said the bill is also good for Minnesota farms and businesses.

Leaders in agriculture and economic development joined Franken to tout the bill passed in the U.S. Senate last week.

It would give temporary legal status to undocumented workers -- and eventually citizenship if they pass background checks and pay fines and back taxes.

"When you have 11-12 million people living in the shadows, then those people are easy to exploit, because they're vulnerable, they can be scared," the senator said. "And that hurts all workers."

Some Republicans are against this bill because they say it rewards people who broke the law.

The GOP-controlled House of Representatives is working on its own immigration reform plan.