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Senate Fails To Act for DREAMers

Washington– Today, after a week of debate and years of waiting for hundreds of thousands of the nation’s DREAMers, the Senate failed to pass a bill to provide a permanent solution for America’s young undocumented immigrants. Four amendments were introduced and voted upon, spanning the ideological spectrum, and none of them reached the necessary 60 votes to move forward in the Senate process and eventually to the House of Representatives.

Young Invincibles’ Policy and Government Affairs Manager Allie Aguilera said the following about the Senate’s failure to reach a deal to solve the ongoing DREAMer crisis today:

“Today’s outcome is disappointing for our generation. DREAMers are our friends, neighbors, and peers; they are American in every way but one and to make them the victims of political stalemate is simply cruel.

Today’s votes made two things clear: First, President Trump did not a want a compromise, and immigration hardliners ensured that he didn’t get one. He, and those lawmakers, will have to own that in the coming weeks and months. Second, and importantly, with sixty ‘no’ votes the Senate resoundingly repudiated the clearest representation of the President’s values in the form of Senator Grassley’s bill, which took a hard line on border security, family sponsored migration, and the current visa system. There is room for compromise but the President’s demands were never a starting point for reasonable debate. DREAMers disagree with the President, voters disagree with the President, and now quite clearly, the Senate disagrees with the President.

As we move forward from today’s outcome, young immigrants aren’t going away and those of us who stand behind them are reinvigorated to use our votes to uplift their voices. We will continue to fight until a permanent legislative solution is reached for these important members of our generation.”