Senate Votes to Reject Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Framework; Dreamers Left in Limbo

Posted at https://www.clasp.org/press-room/press-releases/senate-votes-reject-trumps-anti-immigrant-framework-dreamers-left-limbo

Washington, DC, February 16, 2018—Yesterday the U.S. Senate failed to reach agreement on a solution for Dreamers, falling short of the 60 votes needed on four proposals, including three that would have addressed the plight facing hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who arrived in the United States as children and call this country home. Even before the Senate considered them, President Trump had rejected two of these proposals, both bipartisan, including one that included construction of a border wall. As a result, nearly 800,000 beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program continue to face an uncertain future, with hundreds losing their DACA status each week. That means losing their jobs, safety from deportation, and economic security for them and their families.

In response to the yesterday’s votes, Olivia Golden, the executive director of the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) issued the following statement:

“We are deeply disappointed that the Senate was unable to reach a deal to end the crisis facing Dreamers – which is also a crisis facing their families, including 200,000 American citizen children, their communities, and the schools, hospitals, early childhood programs, and private workplaces that rely on them as employees. We are also outraged that President Trump continues to hold Dreamers hostage in an effort to push a racist, anti-immigrant agenda that undermines our American values. It is no surprise that the only amendment to fail by a wide margin of 39-60 votes was the one that embodied the president’s extreme framework. Every day that we go without a solution is another day of distress for Dreamers and their families. We are proud to stand with immigrant youth and the majority of Americans who support a path to citizenship for Dreamers and will continue to call on Congress to reject proposals that threaten the safety, economic security, and livelihood of our immigrant community and focus on passing a bill that provides a permanent solution for as many Dreamers as possible.”