WASHINGTON – The Senate voted yesterday to reopen the Statue of Liberty’s crown, which has been off limits to the public since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks because of terrorism fears.

The reopening provision was tucked into a larger immigration bill whose prospects are still uncertain.

Senators Schumer, a Democrat of New York, and Menendez, a Democrat of New Jersey, added an amendment to the bill requiring the Department of the Interior, the nation’s main conservation agency, to reopen the stairs leading up to the crown within 60 days of the bill’s passage.

“For too long, it has cast a long shadow over New York Harbor as those who wanted to climb up the stairs and see the spectacular view through her crown were turned away,” Mr. Schumer said.

The famous spiral stairway, however, may remain off limits; the House has not approved such a measure, and many lawmakers doubt the two chambers can reconcile opposing immigration bills.

Just last week, a number of House Republicans argued on the floor against a proposal by Rep. Anthony Weiner, a Democrat of New York, to reopen the crown, saying security experts have determined it is too dangerous.

Rep. Steve Pearce, a Republican of New Mexico, said he visited the site last year and agreed with critics there was no good way to protect tourists in the cramped staircase that rises from the base of the statue to the crown.

“The time to evacuate the statue is very high,” said Mr. Pearce. “No amount of money can change the size or the scope of the stairways.”

He said intelligence reports regularly show the statue is one of the most high-profile targets of would-be terrorists.