Senator Durbin Statement On Cornyn-Grassley Immigration Proposal

Dream Act analysis — Immigrant rights supporters join hands as they demonstrate in favor of Congress passing a clean Dream Act that will prevent the deportation of young immigrants known as Dreamers working and studying in the United States, October 13, 2017, in Miami. AP/Lynne Sladky

WASHINGTON—(ENEWSPF)—December 5, 2017

By: Rosemary Piser

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) joined Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), James Lankford (R-OK), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and David Perdue (R-GA) to introduce legislation to protect and provide certainty to DACA recipients and improve the lawful immigration system by targeting illegal immigration and enforcing border security measures. According to Senator Cornyn’s analysis, the ‘Security, Enforcement, and Compassion United in Reform Efforts (SECURE) Act’ contains provisions from several immigration proposals, including Senator Dick Durbin’s (D-IL) bipartisan ‘BRIDGE Act,’ which protects DACA recipients from deportation and Sen. Cornyn’s comprehensive border security bill introduced earlier this year.

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on legislation:

“Neither Senator Cornyn nor Senator Grassley has ever voted for the Dream Act. This proposal, as I have told them personally, cannot be considered a good faith effort to provide protection for the Dreamers, including those who were enrolled in DACA.

The laundry list of unrelated immigration bills which they have offered is designed to delay and stop any serious bipartisan effort to solve this crisis created by the Trump Administration on September 5th.

I will continue my efforts to reach a bipartisan agreement to pass the Dream Act.”

It has been three months since the Trump Administration announced it was terminating DACA and called for Congress to come up with a legislative solution. More than 10,000 Dreamers have already lost their DACA status, and beginning early next year, 1,000 additional young people will lose this protection each day.