Senate immigration debate update

It combines tough border security and workplace enforcement measures with a plan to legalize an estimated 12 million unlawful immigrants and create a new temporary worker program.

Senators are expected to consider a number of amendments, including one from Republicans that would tighten security. Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, has offered an amendment that would give more weight to family ties in the new merit-based system proposed for future immigrants.

Bonds News Updated. By Donna Smith 3 Min Read. Democratic aides had pushed for the third attempt, dubbed "Plan C," before MacDonough and her staff weeks ago after she struck down two other attempts to include more extensive immigration provisions in the bill.

A White House spokesperson called the decision "disappointing" Thursday evening, saying it "relegates millions to an uncertain and frightening future. The group of senators who worked on the arguments to the parliamentarian said in a statement Thursday they "strongly disagree with the Senate parliamentarian's interpretation of our immigration proposal, and we will pursue every means to achieve a path to citizenship in the Build Back Better Act.

The provisions Democrats had argued for were the same ones included in the House-passed version of the economic bill, which would provide temporary protection from deportation and work permits to undocumented immigrants who entered the US prior to January and meet a certain set of criteria. About 6. The proposed immigration provisions fell short of what Democrats had hoped for -- a pathway to citizenship -- but would still have provided some reprieve to millions of immigrants. The Build Back Better legislation is a wide-ranging package of Democratic social spending priorities, which includes free preschool, initiatives to fight climate change and affordable housing programs.

Under the immigration provision, undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States prior to would be given temporary protection for five years.

The protection would allow an estimated 7 million individuals to get renewable employment authorization. Chuck Schumer, D-N. Senate Democratic aides met with the parliamentarian's office earlier this month on the Byrd Rule , which prohibits the Senate from considering " extraneous matter " not tied to the budget in the reconciliation bill.

Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian, has twice blocked Democratic plans to include immigration reform that could offer protection for millions of undocumented immigrant in the reconciliation bill.