The House last night passed a major border enforcement and immigration security bill after approving amendments ending the diversity visa lottery program and requiring immigration authorities to complete background checks before granting an immigration benefit. -------------------------------------------------------------- On Thursday, the House passed a provision calling for nearly 700 miles of fence to be built on the U.S.-Mexico border. Then, yesterday, it passed an amendment ending the diversity visa lottery, a system that grants 50,000 green cards every year without tying it to family relationships or employment. It passed 273-148. Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte, Virginia Republican, said the lottery makes no sense and pointed to examples of terrorists who have entered the country through the lottery. "Don't gamble with national security," he said. Some Democrats defended the program, with Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan saying the rest of the immigration system is geared toward employment and family reunification, which benefits large or industrialized nations and countries that already have sent a lot of immigrants. The lottery, he said, is often the only way for those from other countries to enter. "The diversity visa program is a chance for many people of color from around the world to immigrate," he said. Congress also passed an amendment requiring that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services complete background checks before granting an immigration benefit such as a green card or citizenship. For more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20051217-123709-6995r.htm