Battle to Legalize ‘Dreamers’ Hits New Snag in Congress
An obscure Senate procedure known as "budget reconciliation" could determine the future of millions of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children by attaching their potential citizenship to a $3.5 trillion measure they call "human infrastructure" investments.
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An obscure Senate procedure known as “budget reconciliation” could determine the future of millions of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children by attaching their potential citizenship to a $3.5 trillion measure they call “human infrastructure” investments, reports Reuters. The strategy could undermine two decades of efforts to win a path to citizenship for “Dreamer” immigrants.
To move ahead, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) must keep his 50 Democrats and independents united on reconciliation. Moderate Democratic Senators Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia already stand out as potential obstacles. But other Democrats facing re-election next year may need convincing, too. Complicating matters is the politically difficult task of pursuing reforms when migrant border arrests are at 20-year highs. Besides Dreamers, Democrats might include farmworkers, healthcare and other employees deemed “essential” and those who fled wars and natural disasters — a potential total of over 6 million people.
