[JURIST] A bill reflecting what was heralded as a key compromise [PDF summary] on immigration reform [JURIST news archive] has stalled in the US Senate. By a margin of 38-60 senators voted Friday morning against a motion [Leahy MFTF log] to send the existing border security bill [S 2454 summary] back to the Senate Judiciary Committee with instructions to include compromise language [JURIST report] agreed to by Senate leaders Thursday. A subsequent vote to invoke cloture [Senate backgrounder] to end debate on the original bill then failed 36-62 [Leahy MFTF log].

The vote was not entirely unexpected, as disagreements over amendments [AP report] quickly emerged late Thursday after the initial compromise announcement. Senate leaders had hoped to hammer out an acceptable bill text Friday before leaving for a two-week Easter recess. CBS News has more.