WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and other lawmakers urged President Biden to protect people who are undocumented but have been in the U.S. for a long time.
“This is the time for executive action. This is the time to stand up and do what is right,” Booker said.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) wants the president to streamline the process to legal status for undocumented spouses, caregivers, and other long-term residents.
“But millions of undocumented immigrants currently live in fear of separation from their families. A broken immigration system that lacks fairness and due process, which leaves many families with no escape from deportation,” Markey said.
However, some Republicans question why the Democrats who push for this do not urge the President to take action at the southern border.
“It’s outrageous,” Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) said.
Schmitt says there are plenty of ways for the president to get immigration back to how it was under the previous administration.
“So, my hope is that he’ll come to his senses and actually, you know, reinstate something like remain in Mexico or help the border patrol agents by, you know, building more of the wall,” Schmitt said.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) criticized any Republicans who talked about fixing the border when they had the chance to pass the border security bill months ago.
“The border bill they killed in Congress will linger over them like stink on garbage,” Schumer said.
Schumer says Democrats will challenge Republicans to join with them again on border reform.
