Wyden Votes to Protect Dreamers, Provide Funding for Effective Border Security
Washington, D.C. – Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today voted in favor of a bipartisan compromise that would protect the estimated 11,000 Dreamers in Oregon as well as provide funding for effective border security measures.
The bill failed to advance in the Senate today on a vote of 54 to 45. It needed 60 votes to advance.
The bipartisan, compromise legislation the Senate voted on today would have granted permanent legal status to 1.8 million undocumented immigrants, including young people who signed up for the Deferred Action through Childhood Arrivals (DACA). It would provide $25 billion over a 10-year period for certain border security measures such as border security technologies, infrastructure and equipment.
“Dreamers have grown up in America and followed all the rules. They go to school here. They work hard here, often at multiple jobs to support their families. They give back to our communities here,” Wyden said. “The agenda the president and the far-right are pushing would rip families apart, force young people to countries they have never known, and do enormous economic harm to our country. These young Americans just want to stay in the only country they know as home. We must keep fighting to give them that chance.”
Wyden voted against two partisan proposals, including one that was very similar to the White House plan and would have made radical changes to the legal immigration system, broken up families, severely cut back legal immigration and done enormous economic harm to the country.
To watch video of Wyden's floor speech, click here.
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