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Biden's bold immigration overhaul may face a Republican wall in Congress

Published 01/21/2021, 08:03 PM
Updated 01/21/2021, 10:05 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Biden holds coronavirus response event at the White House in Washington

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Biden holds coronavirus response event at the White House in Washington

By Ted Hesson and Mica Rosenberg

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It was a bold opening salvo from the incoming administration of President Joe Biden: an immigration bill that would open a path to citizenship for roughly 11 million people living in the country illegally. But even the Democratic senator leading the charge acknowledged on Thursday that passing it would be "a Herculean task."

The senator, long-time immigrant rights champion Robert Menendez, said in a video call with business groups, labor unions and migrant advocates that they will need to convince a broad swath of Americans to support the measure, while allies in the U.S. business community would have to push for it with "everything that you've got."

Biden has made the immigration reform bill the centerpiece of his efforts to reverse former President Donald Trump's hardline immigration legacy. It signals his willingness to spend significant political capital on an issue that is a priority for businesses, labor unions, faith groups and activists.

In addition to the legalization measures for qualifying immigrants, the proposed bill would allow certain immigrants who were deported during the Trump administration to apply to return to reunite with family or for other humanitarian reasons. The proposal also raises the number of available legal work visas.

Biden, who took office on Wednesday, faces long odds, however, to win over enough Republicans in a closely divided Congress to pass the bill, congressional aides, experts and advocates told Reuters.

The Biden administration released a summary of the bill on Wednesday, but the text - which is expected to be hundreds of pages - has not been made public.

Menendez said Biden was committed to passing immigration reform and that he would not have backed the measure if it was purely a symbolic statement of Biden's position.

"If I thought that this was just a messaging bill that was going to go absolutely nowhere, then I wouldn't have lent my name to it," Menendez said. "Having said that, yes, this will be tough."

Control of the Senate is split 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris as the tie-breaking vote. Democrats would need to win over 10 Republicans to avoid a "filibuster," a procedural hurdle that can delay or block legislation from coming to a vote.

Democrats control the House of Representatives, but by a narrower margin than in the previous Congress.

The challenges in the divided Senate are already on display as Democrats and Republicans negotiate the terms of their power-sharing agreement. Mitch McConnell, the Senate's top Republican, is seeking assurances that the Senate will retain the filibuster, according to his office.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a briefing on Thursday that the administration was hopeful Biden's bill would provide "a moment of reset" that could restart discussions among lawmakers.

Biden's immigration push comes after Trump, a Republican, spent four years cracking down on legal and illegal immigration. Many Republican lawmakers backed Trump's tough immigration policies.

'TOTAL AMNESTY'

Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas tweeted on Monday - before Biden was sworn in - that the new president was "wasting no time trying to enact his radical immigration agenda." He called the bill "total amnesty" with "no regard for the health or security of Americans, and zero enforcement."

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who was involved in bipartisan immigration reform talks in 2013 before ultimately abandoning the effort, called Biden's bill a "non-starter" in a statement this week.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin told reporters at the Capitol on Thursday that he had "reached out to half a dozen Republicans on immigration and they've been open to the conversation."

Democrats could have more success with narrower immigration measures tied to must-pass spending bills or pandemic relief packages than trying to attract Republican support for a broad bill, said Frank Sharry, executive director of the pro-immigrant America's Voice.

Another option would be to attempt to eliminate the filibuster or use other procedural moves to pass a bill with only 51 votes, he said.

Alex Conant, a Republican strategist who worked as a spokesman for Rubio during the immigration talks in 2013, said the bill does not appear likely to win over Republicans, but could evolve into a more palatable proposal.

Reuters/Ipsos polling show support for offering a path to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally has risen since 2014, with 60% of Americans in favor of it in a survey in February last year.

Some advocates argue Americans are now more aware of contributions by immigrant workers because of the pandemic.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Biden holds coronavirus response event at the White House in Washington

"Who stepped up to the plate when we were all locked in our houses and who put their lives on the line?" said immigration attorney David Leopold, who served as a volunteer adviser to the Biden campaign. "Undocumented workers."

Latest comments

lets see..the republicans put gw bush into power and they lied America into a 3 trillion dollar war and then with the Republican deregulation policies a crashing economy the dems come in put back together. then Republicans put trump into power incompetence, corruption, programs of cruelty injected our immigration policy. and Finally insurrection, sedition and an attempted coup. . .the Republican party..... American people now what deplorable looks like.l
Ley's see...typical red herring. Your long winded post had nothing to fo with Biden's immigration proposal. Not surprising.
interesting indeed that clearly failing strategic vision is placing this issue ahead of all else including economic and employment recovery and growth and ignoring the millions of real Americans still out of work and wi the not one call on china for wuhan virus accountability. Says it all
But, But orange man bad. Lol.
Is Joe trying to Make America Poor?
Biden is going to destroy the United States.  Trump rubbed people the wrong way but his policies worked.  You guys just voted the Devil in....or did you?
I don't understand , before US people very principled on fairness! This policy is definitely not fair to those following legal and formal immigration applications and process! So corrupted and rotten country now!
Democrats gets their votes, and original legal citizens paying for it.
Biden!!! Much much much better than Trump!
Anyone who thinks this will only mean 11 million will gain citizenship after entering the country illegally hasn't been paying attention. Since everything triples, at minimum, with government estimates, I am guessing there are closer to 30 million. On top of that, they will be able to bring their entire family in so multiply that times another 3 or 4. If you have a low level job, we are going to be flooded with low or no skill laborers so keep your resume ready. Double digit unemployment will be here for generations.
Reuters n readers r St.u/pid, a neuclear option invokes only for a none debateable point. Neuclear options can pass with a simple majority. To get rid of 60 votes requirement, it needs 67 votes. The media keeps giving fake news no wonder why readers r so confused.
Simple to pass eliminate the 60 vote rule and it is a done deal.
You’re implying there are no sensible democrats.
Now Bob, you seem to be implying that there ARE sensible democrats?
You have a point.
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