Reed Statement on Senate Vote Against Bipartisan Solutions to Save Dreamers

WASHINGTON – Today, after the U.S. Senate rejected President Trump’s proposal to radically slash legal immigration by a vote of 39 to 60 and failed to advance two bipartisan immigration proposals that would provide a pathway to citizenship for young “Dreamers” protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Senator Jack Reed issued the following statement:

“Last September, President Trump created an economic, humanitarian, and political crisis by rescinding DACA without proposing a serious solution for the nearly 800,000 DACA recipients who now face deportation. In the following months, my Democratic colleagues, and some Republicans, have offered compromise after compromise to cover most of President Trump’s major immigration priorities and protect Dreamers from deportation. Unfortunately, it appears President Trump never intended to accept a bipartisan compromise.

“While eight of my Republican colleagues did the right thing and voted in favor of a bipartisan compromise which was in the best interest of our nation’s businesses and our economy, a majority of Republican Senators set in motion the possibility of deportation for hard-working, driven young people who play by the rules and contribute to our nation. They chose to reject tough but fair proposals that provided President Trump with his border wall, among many other very conservative concessions.

“The basic facts of this debate are clear. The American people overwhelmingly support finding a solution for Dreamers that protects them from deportation and provides a pathway to citizenship for those who work hard and play by the rules. They also oppose the kind of radical cuts to legal immigration that President Trump and the Republican majority are demanding in exchange for solving the DACA crisis President Trump created.

“It’s clear the President can’t take yes for an answer, and, until he learns to do so, it will be unclear what the path forward is.”