President Biden’s plan to pass a radical review of immigration faces fierce winds in Congress, which has become a legislative black hole for reform efforts in recent years.
Biden, as one of its first legislative proposals, drafted a comprehensive bill that would provide citizenship routes to 11 million undocumented immigrants, strengthen refugee protections, and include new technologies along the border.
Democrats recognize that a meager majority in the House and the Republican Party’s need for Senate support are likely to determine what immigration proposals, if any, they can pass in Congress and reach Biden’s desk.
“There are some things that I think will probably be included and some that will be too accessible,” Whip said of the Senate majority. Dick Durbin
Dick Durbin: Democrats weigh in on lower courts after Trump blitz Biden revive fight for immigration in Congress Biden immigration plans hit first issues (D-Ill.), The new chairman of the Judicial Committee, on the Biden plan.
Instead, Durbin plans to start with a smaller issue that already has bipartisan support, the so-called dreamers, when he and Sen. Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Olin Graham: Trump’s dismissal lawyer, Bowers, leaves the team: reports that Biden will rekindle the fight for immigration in Congress Biden’s immigration plans hit the first problems MORE (RS.C.) reintroduce DREAM Act legislation during the first week of February.
The bill is expected to reflect the legislation they have previously offered, which extended permanent residence and eventual citizenship, to immigrants who were illegally brought into the country as children who meet certain labor and educational requirements.
Durbin said he believes the bipartisanship measure is the starting point for larger negotiations on a bill that could get 60 votes in the Senate, the amount needed to overcome an obstacle. If all Democrats voted on an immigration bill, it would still need the support of 10 Republican Party senators to move forward.
“This will be our starting point for creating assistance, as well as considering any additions to it. It’s a complicated territory, “said Durbin.
Meanwhile, the senator. Robert Menéndez
Robert (Bob) MenendezBiden re-energizes the fight against immigration in Congress Biden’s immigration plans hit the first problems The Senate confirms Antony Blinken as Biden’s secretary of state MORE (DN.J.) takes the lead in legislation that will reflect Biden-Harris ’proposal, though he acknowledged that“ no illusions are made ”about the legislative path to follow.
“I know from time immemorial in the Gang of Eight that passing immigration reform through the Senate in particular is a Herculean task,” said Menendez, who was part of the 2013 effort to pass a comprehensive review, during an event with advocates of immigration reform.
Immigration agreements have eluded Congress for years. While members on both sides of the aisle say they want a deal, they disagree on how it should be.
In 2013, the Senate passed an immigration reform bill, with 68 votes, that included a 13-year path to citizenship. The measure eventually stalled in the Republican-controlled house.
Of the Republican Party senators who supported this bill, only Sens. Susan Collins
Susan Margaret CollinsBiden reactivates fight for immigration in Congress Paul says Roberts’ absence argues’ crystallized ‘against Trump’s ousting Democrats willing to obviate Republicans over COVID-19 relief project MORE (Maine), Graham, John Hoeven
John Henry HoevenBiden reactivates the fight for immigration in Congress McConnell on the verge of educating Trump on political power for the last time as the opposition Republican Senate Party grows to oppose the results of the Electoral College MORE (ND), Lisa Murowksi (Alaska) i marc Rubio
Marco Antonio RubioBiden restarts the fight for immigration in Congress Peters to head the arm of the Senate democratic campaign The Hill’s Morning Report – Dems question trial; January becomes the deadliest pandemic month MORE (Fla.) They remain in charge.
Reaching an agreement on immigration has only become more politically charged since then, largely because of the early President Trump
Donald Trump: Kelli Ward Rejects Arizona GOP Race Audit Request for Gun Sales Rises Amid Pandemic Uncertainty, Biden Votes for Gun Reform Prosecution Lawyer of Trump, Bowers, leaves the teamrises to power and its continued control at the base of the GOP. Trump took a hard line against immigration and dumped billions of dollars into the controversial U.S.-Mexico border wall.
In 2018, Trump briefly opened the door to a path to citizenship for dreamers in exchange for $ 25 billion for his border wall. But that was quickly undone when his administration revised the offer by adding cuts to legal immigration. The Senate finally rejected four immigration plans in mid-February of that year.
After Democrats regained control of the House in 2019, they passed immigration legislation that dealt with the Deferred Action for Arrivals for Children (DACA) program and the recipients of the Temporary Protection Status (TPS). ), but came to a dead end in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Republicans have analyzed Biden’s immigration proposal and stressed that without neglecting the 60-vote legislative filibuster, which Democrats currently do not have the votes to do, it is unlikely to go anywhere quickly in the 50-vote Senate. to 50 years.
“The new administration has also outlined a general amnesty proposal that would hinder the application of U.S. laws while creating new incentives for people to rush here illegally at the same time. This kind of failed approach will invite to another humanitarian crisis on our border, ”the Republican Senate Party leader said Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch), Mitchell McConnell, Lou Dobbs hits “petty” Republicans who criticize Trump Biden for reviving the fight against immigration in Congress Louise Linton plays a murderous and sex-obsessed hedge fund manager in her debut as writer-director MORE (R-Ky).
Asked about Biden’s proposal, Graham, in a telephone interview with The Hill, said it would require comprehensive and comprehensive immigration reform and “I don’t see the space to do so.”
The Biden administration and immigration advocates have approved the rupture of the package if this makes it easier to get it through a narrow-margin Congress.
Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Law Center and former co-chair of the Biden-Sanders unit working group, said she supports the passage of Biden legislation by parties and suggested that a bill that it provided protections for essential workers could advance the conciliation process, which only requires a simple majority for the passage.
“We are in favor of achieving the greatest possible relief for immigrant families at this time. If that means the fastest and fastest way to do it is through different legislative vehicles, yes, yes, absolutely in favor of that, ”he said.
But getting smaller is still full of possible cables for Republicans.
Graham said he saw his DREAM Act bill with Durbin as a starting point for negotiations that should ultimately include elements of border security and address the underlying causes of immigration. If they didn’t get a bigger deal, Graham said, she wouldn’t support the passage of an autonomous DREAM law, nor would she think 10 Republicans would support it.
“I’m sympathetic to the population that dreams,” Graham said, adding that the legislation should be done in a way that doesn’t “increase incentives for more illegal immigration.”
He added that his bill with Durbin “is a good place to start the debate and build a compromise that benefits the dream population and does not encourage a third wave of illegal immigration.”
Other Republicans warn Durbin not to try to go too wide, predicting it would only lead to a stalemate in legislation that already has a high probability of passing. Durbin has pointed to DACA and TPS as its top priorities.
“You better start with something smaller like DACA,” Sen said. Chuck Grassley
Chuck GrassleyBiden resumes fighting immigration in Congress Psaki expects DHS candidate Mayorkas to lead the task force to reunite separated families. Biden DHS picks up advances in Senate, eliminating MORE Republican hurdle (R-Iowa), a member of the Judicial Committee, when asked about Durbin who wants to address immigration legislation.
Asked about the combination of DACA with TPS, Grassley said he would rather focus on the first issue, but even combining them would have “much better chances of doing so than if they did it in a holistic way.”
His. John Cornyn
John Cornyn: Democrats weigh in on lower courts after Trump blitz Biden rekindles immigration fight in Congress Trump’s censorship faces difficulties in Senate MORE (R-Texas), another member of the Judicial Committee, said he had “given up” comprehensive reform, but that he wanted to “find a solution” for DACA recipients through legislation.
Cornyn, however, also seemed skeptical about combining it with temporary protections.
“Well now you have it, starting to add other things,” he said. “I think that’s the problem; you have to take it one by one “.
Morgan Chalfant contributed.