The White House on Thursday requested the Congress for 1.9 billion U.S. dollars to beef up border security as a key immigration reform bill looks now more likely to pass the Senate.

The White House said the money will pay for the first 1,000 of 6,000 new Border Patrol agents that will be deployed in the next two years, as well as the temporary deployment of 6,000 National Guard troops to the border with Mexico.

The request includes funds for new fencing and other barriers as well as two new unmanned surveillance aircraft and five helicopters to curb illegal immigration.

The White House sent the request to Congress as U.S. President George W. Bush traveled to Yuma, Arizona, to stress his commitment to border control and push for national consensus on the immigration reform.

Meanwhile, Senate leaders said they hope for passage of the controversial immigration legislation by next week, though the prospect is still uncertain.

The bill includes measures to tighten control over the borders, create a new guest-worker program and offer a path to citizenship for roughly 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country.

Backers of the bill on Tuesday defeated two amendments that would have gutted the Senate bill.

Bush, who supports the bill in principal, gave the debate momentum on Monday by announcing the deployment of 6,000 National Guard troops to southwestern border states to support the Border Patrol.

Opponents of the bill said the big fight will occur when negotiators try to merge the Senate bill with the House's version which will make all illegal immigrants criminals.

Source: Xinhua