Biden: Immigration overhaul is about public safety

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Joe Biden is making a case for overhauling the nation's immigration laws.

Biden is rallying support from law enforcement officials and arguing that a sweeping new law would help public safety.

The Senate immigration legislation would boost border security and provide a path to citizenship for immigrants who are in the United States illegally. Biden says making it law would bring those immigrants "out of the shadows."

He says border crossings have declined sharply but that security measures in the bill would help cut down human and drug trafficking as well.

He says the bill would help law enforcement by requiring immigrants without documents to register, submit to fingerprinting, and pass criminal background checks.

Biden spoke Friday after a meeting with law enforcement officials.