U.S. Democrats’ bid to bring immigration reforms blocked in Senate

Democrats hoped the immigration changes would cover Dreamers brought to the U.S. as children, people affected by conflicts or natural disasters in their home countries, farmworkers and other essential workers

In a major setback for the ruling Democrats, the U.S. Senate Parliamentarian has ruled that immigration reforms proposed by them to grant legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants cannot be attached to a $3.5 trillion social and environmental bill.

The Democrats hoped the immigration changes would cover Dreamers brought to the U.S. as children, people affected by conflicts or natural disasters in their home countries, farmworkers and other essential workers.

“I am deeply disappointed by the Senate Parliamentarian’s ruling to block immigration reform in the budget reconciliation process,” said Congresswoman Deborah Ross after Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough on September 20 shot down efforts to include a path to legal status for certain immigrants in the bill.