Four separate immigration bills crashed and burned in the US Senate this week, capping off a week of fiery debate, negotiations, and eventually defeat as both the President’s proposal and a bipartisan bill failed to secure enough votes.
Trump’s four-part immigration plan -which would provide a pathway to citizenship for nearly two million ‘Dreamers,’ fund his border wall, and end “chain” migration- went down in defeat, with many Republicans joining their Democrat colleagues and sinking the bill in a 39-60 vote.
The Senate’s bipartisan deal also fell short just hours after Trump threatened to veto the bill he described as a “total catastrophe.”
“The Schumer-Rounds-Collins immigration bill would be a total catastrophe. @DHSgov says it would be ‘the end of immigration enforcement in America.’ It creates a giant amnesty (including for dangerous criminals), doesn’t build the wall, expands chain migration, keeps the visa,” Trump tweeted.
The Schumer-Rounds-Collins immigration bill would be a total catastrophe. @DHSgov says it would be “the end of immigration enforcement in America.” It creates a giant amnesty (including for dangerous criminals), doesn’t build the wall, expands chain migration, keeps the visa…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2018
The Senate’s inability to pass any immigration deal comes as the March 5th deadline looms with the nation’s DACA program officially expiring; throwing into question the fate of millions of ‘Dreamers’ currently residing in the United States.