WASHINGTON, D.C. — This afternoon the House voted down a second immigration bill, on which Republican moderates and hardline conservatives had attempted to compromise.
The bill, which failed 301-121, would have provided a path to citizenship for a small percentage of Dreamers, removed protections for migrant children and allowed them to be incarcerated for longer periods of time, reduced legal immigration, added border measures (including funding of almost $25 billion), increased interior immigration enforcement, and made it more difficult for asylum seekers to make their claims.
“Hardline conservatives have managed to torpedo any and all efforts by moderates to reach a constructive solution for Dreamers,” said Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum. “This will further embolden the president to take executive actions to increase deportations and decrease legal immigration.
“Dreamers and their families, neighbors and employers are left to wonder what comes next. With a Texas district court ruling coming later this summer, the Supreme Court could see another high-profile immigration case in the very near future as the president speeds toward the deportation of nearly a million Dreamers.
“Americans still want bipartisan solutions that help Dreamers, prioritize secure borders and strengthen legal immigration in ways that help American workers and families. Rather than cede its power to the other branches, Congress should come together and advance bipartisan solutions.”