DACA DIES IN THE SENATE

on January 17, 2018 in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 17: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (R) speaks to members of the media after a Senate Republican Policy Luncheon as Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) (L) listens January 17, ... WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 17: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (R) speaks to members of the media after a Senate Republican Policy Luncheon as Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) (L) listens January 17, 2018 at the Capitol in Washington, DC. Senate Republicans held the weekly luncheon to discuss GOP agenda. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The hardline immigration legislation the White House backed in order to protect so-called “Dreamers” failed to overcome a filibuster Thursday. It was the fourth immigration-related legislation to go down Thursday afternoon, as the Senate considered measures to codify the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program.

The White House-supported bill, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), imposed steep cuts on legal immigration, while giving immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as minors a pathway to citizenship. President Trump endorsed the bill, while his administration lobbied aggressively against the bipartisan DACA bills also considered Thursday.

A vote on advancing the legislation failed 39-60, well short of the 60 votes it needed to move forward. It garnered significantly less support than the two other DACA bills the Senate voted on Thursday.

With the failure of all the bills, the fate of hundreds of thousands of immigrants are in jeopardy. Trump rescinded last year the Obama-era program that protected them from deportation. However, that move is in legal limbo due to lawsuits against Trump’s decision.

The Senate voted also voted on a fourth immigration-related bill Thursday that did not address DACA, but rather targeted sanctuary cities. It too fell short of the 60 votes required to move forward.

The first vote was on narrow deal to protect DACA recipients that was sponsored by Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Chris Coons (D-DE). The second was on the sanctuary city legislation, which was sponsored by Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA).

The third piece of immigration-related legislation to go down Thursday afternoon was sponsored by Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Angus King (I-ME), and backed by a bipartisan group of senators known as the “Common Sense Coalition.” It would given young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children a pathway to citizenship. It provided $25 billion over 10 years in border security, including for the “construction of physical barriers.” It would also block green card holders from sponsoring adult children for immigration, meaning that those immigrants would have to wait until they become citizens before sponsoring their adult children.

It received 54 votes in its favor and 45 against the legislation.

It was considered the best opportunity for the Senate to put up the votes it would need from both parties to overcome a filibuster. The Department of Homeland Security had blasted the bill for creating a “mass amnesty” and for “destroy[ing]” the DHS’ ability to “to remove millions of illegal aliens.”

Immigration advocates were skeptical of it, but most preferred that legislation over no protection for DACA recipients.

The DACA program shielded young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children from deportation. Their fate remains in jeopardy, and thousands had already had lost their protected status by the time the Senate took up the issue.

Two courts have blocked Trump’s move to terminate the program — and previous DACA recipients can reapply for protection while the case remains in legal limbo. The administration has asked the Supreme Court to consider taking up one of the cases and overturning the decision.

Latest DC
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: