The Senate blocked multiple immigration proposals on Thursday afternoon, leaving a contentious debate on how best to protect young immigrants from deportation and boost border security measures no closer to a resolution.
In a rebuke, a measure favored by President Donald Trump got the fewest votes of all four immigration-related amendments before the Senate on Thursday. It failed to advanced by a 60 to 39 margin.
The failure of the amendments leaves the chamber no closer to enshrining legal protections for up to 1.8 million immigrants either protected by an Obama-era program or eligible for it. It leaves doubts about any clear path for Congress to reach an immigration agreement that President Donald Trump will sign.
Senators’ next move was unclear as of Thursday afternoon.
Here are the four proposals that failed. The Senate was voting to shorten debate on the measures and effectively move ahead with them, and needed 60 votes to advance.
- A narrow plan put forth by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Chris Coons, D-Del., got 52 votes for as opposed to 47 votes against. McCain was not present for the votes as he fights brain cancer. The plan included protections for immigrants and border security funding, but not an overhaul of the immigration system.
- The Senate then voted not to advance a proposal from Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Ohio, to pull funding from so-called sanctuary cities. It got 54 votes of support, while 45 senators opposed it.
- The chamber rejected a bipartisan plan originally sponsored by Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Angus King, I-Maine. Fifty-four senators backed it, while 45 voted against it. It would have offered a pathway to citizenship for immigrants protected by the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and those who were eligible but did not apply. It would limit family-based visas, fund Trump’s proposed border wall or other border security and instruct Immigration and Customs Enforcement to turn their focus away from immigrants without criminal records.
- Finally, the chamber shot down Trump’s favored plan, proposed by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. Only 39 lawmakers voted for it, while 60 voted against it. The Grassley bill aimed to capture Trump’s four immigration demands: shielding up to 1.8 million young immigrants and offering a path to citizenship, funding border security, limiting extended family migration and ending the diversity visa “lottery.” Democrats opposed its limits on legal immigration.
Earlier Thursday, the Trump administration repeatedly criticized the bipartisan plan and put its weight behind the Grassley proposal.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
