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Nine News: Robert Shortt, Washington Correspondent, reports that the defeat of the bill has dashed the hopes of Irish immigrants
The United States Senate has voted against advancing the immigration reform bill, backed by the President George W Bush.
The vote to debate the bill was defeated by 53 to 46.
The new legislation proposed to tighten border controls and offered 12 million illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.
The Senate is now due to go into summer recess and supporters say there will probably be no action on the bill until after the 2008 elections.
