A bill endorsed by Democrats they said would enhance border security failed for the second time to pass in the Senate due to opposition from Republicans.
The “Border Act,” which was blocked in February due to its connection to foreign aid, did not reach the 60-vote requirement to be considered alone by the Senate to move forward with a vote.
Fifty members opposed advancing the bill, while only 43 members supported it, which Democrats revived this month. One of the members who spent months helping to craft the bill, Senator James Lankford (R-OK), criticized the leadership’s handling of the revival.
“I’m making it very clear with my vote that this is a stunt — not an attempt to do anything,” Lankford told Newsmax. “And I’m going to be interested in how many Democrats walk away from this.”
Retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a former Democrat-turned-Independent who still caucuses with her old party, criticized them and Republicans alike, accusing them of engaging in “political theater” rather than seriously addressing President Joe Biden’s lax immigration and border security policies.
House Republicans warned that the bill would be “dead on arrival” if it reached them and urged the Senate to pass H.R. 2 instead. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has so far refused to consider the more stringent border security bill, which the House passed last year.
Biden’s policies have driven immigration to the top of concerns most Americans have heading into the fall elections.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) released a statement after the vote, saying Schumer “should join House Republicans in demanding President Biden reverse course and use his executive authority to finally secure the border and protect American families.”
Former President Donald Trump has vowed to take extreme actions to secure the U.S.-Mexico border if he wins November’s presidential election.
And that promise is supported by a key voting bloc — Latinos.
The most recent Axios-Ipsos Latino Poll shows that the percentage of Latinos who support erecting a border wall and deporting all undocumented immigrants has increased by at least 10 points since 2021.
According to the research, even among those who might have connections to immigration, Trump’s calls for increased border security and possibly his anti-immigrant rhetoric are having an impact.
The results also illuminate Republicans’ recent gains among Latinos and reflect the frustration that has elevated illegal immigration to the top issue for many Americans during election season.
If Trump wins back the presidency, he has vowed to increase border security and organize mass deportations, which he claims could include a million people.
Axios reported on the findings:
42% of Latino adults surveyed said they support building a wall or fence along the entire U.S.–Mexico border. That’s a 12-point jump from December 2021.
38% support sending all undocumented immigrants in the U.S. back to their country of origin — up from 28% in 2021.
In addition, 64% of Latinos said they support giving the president the authority to shut U.S. borders if there are too many immigrants trying to enter the country. It was the first time the survey asked this question.
Support for building a wall was strongest among Cuban Americans (58%), who generally are more conservative than many other Latinos and have benefited from decades of Cold War-era “special treatment” on immigration.
Support for the border wall is lowest among Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans (37%). Only 43% of Central Americans support the wall.
According to the survey, after inflation and crime, Latinos’ top concern in this election year is immigration.
Ipsos pollster and senior vice president Chris Jackson told Axios that the poll “illustrates that some immigration hardline positions (are) incrementally more popular” among Latinos.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
