Congress in Limbo as Immigration Deadline Looms

The failure of Congress to make progress on immigration reform has resulted in Senators desperately trying to find a fallback position, in which they can prevent the deportation from the US of young undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as minors, known as ‘Dreamers’ when their legal protections end.

Neither side of the political aisle seems enticed by the current options on immigration reform in the face of a stalemate on restrictions to legal immigration, congressional election campaigns, and another looming fiscal deadline. Meanwhile, the clock continues to tick down toward the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Mark Krikorian, from the Center for Immigration Studies, said he expects the program to expire, that Dreamers will begin losing their legal right to work in the US, that at least one will be detained and deported, with the political fall-out deciding the next stage of the crisis. The 5 March deadline has been put off by the courts, and a resolution may not be reached until June if the Supreme Court agrees to expedite a hearing of the case, which has resulted in the Senate experiencing another array of proposals.

Arizona Senator, Jeff Flake, has suggested extending the work permits of Dreamers for a further three years. Republican Senators, Jerry Moran, Rob Portman, and John Thune have suggested giving them legal status but not US citizenship. House Speaker, Paul Ryan, says legislation that lacks the backing of the President will not even be considered.