Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was the sole Republican senator to vote Thursday to advance a bill to deal with the migrant influx at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Context
There have been 1,520,502 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encounters at the southern border since the start of the 2024 fiscal year, which began last October.
As illegal migrant crossings have rapidly increased in recent years, Republican lawmakers have tried to make tougher immigration laws a top priority. However, when a border deal was brought to the Senate floor in February, it failed to advance within the chamber.
What We Know
The attempt to pass immigration reform on Thursday failed after almost every GOP member blocked the legislation from advancing, in a 43-50 vote. Six Democrats and two independents joined Republicans in voting against the bill.
Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, has continued to warn Republicans against supporting border deals that aren’t “perfect.” His critics sayt he just wants to stop a deal from happening before November’s presidential election so he can run on the issue.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.