Gang of Eight to tour border in rush to finish immigration bill

Four members of the Senate's Gang of Eight will tour the border in Arizona on Wednesday as they rush to finish a deal on immigration reform.

Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) will tour the Arizona-Mexico border and hold a press conference afterwards.

The senators involved with the Gang of Eight have said they are on track to reach a deal on immigration reform by the end of March, and have vowed to unveil legislation when Congress returns from a two-week spring recess. 

Schumer on Thursday said the Gang is "very close to an agreement."

"We expect to meet our goal of having comprehensive immigration reform supported by all eight of us by the end of March. We’re on track," Schumer said.

But McCain on Monday cautioned that the negotiations were continuing, and wouldn't guarantee a deal by early April.

"I can't guarantee anything," McCain said at a town hall in Arizona. “We're still in serious negotiations, but we have made progress. We are negotiating now, as we are in recess."

President Obama, who has urged Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform plan early in 2013, on Monday said he expects Congress to debate a "comprehensive, sensible" reform plan in April. 

The other members of the Gang of Eight are Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

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