“It’s different [from Cornyn] in that we actually put the plan right in the legislation,” Hoeven continued. “We’re spelling out all the technologies — drones, Vader, sensors, towers, helicopters…It’s sector-by-sector, the things that the Border Patrol wants.”

The plan would require that the Department of Homeland Security reach a level of apprehending or turning back 90 percent of the people who try to cross the border illegally. “You have to have not only the plan in place but the metric has to be met, prior to going to green card status,” said Hoeven. The requirement would not apply to so-called Dreamers and agricultural workers who are given a special status in the Gang of Eight bill. But for all the others among the estimated 11 million currently-illegal immigrants, the bill would specify that green card status is conditional on enhanced security measures actually being in place.

The question is whether Democrats would accept an actual condition which would have to be met before immigrants can move on to green card status and, later, to citizenship. “We’ll see,” said Hoeven. “It’s under discussion.”…

If Democrats do in fact reject the amendment, then the key question will be how strongly Republicans will support it. Most Senate Republicans probably approve of the Cornyn amendment and will likely be fine with the Hoeven-Corker amendment, too. The issue is whether Republicans will vote against the Gang of Eight bill if it doesn’t have something like those amendments. As Hoeven said, we’ll see.