Post-court ruling, Democrats face pressure to deliver on immigration

Democrats are under growing pressure to pass long-stalled immigration reform after a federal judge poured new fuel onto the years-long fight by blocking new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applicants. 

With bipartisan talks making little progress, Democrats are poised to use what was viewed as their back-up plan: trying to get immigration reform passed as part of a sweeping spending package that they will pass via reconciliation, which allows them to bypass the Senate's 60-vote filibuster.

Democrats are still sorting out the details but want to get a pathway to citizenship for at least “Dreamers” into their $3.5 trillion bill that they are likely to try to pass this fall. 

“Congress cannot wait any longer ... Senate Democrats need to provide a permanent legislation for the dreamers. We need to act swiftly,” said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). 

Asked if a Democratic-only bill would only address DACA, Durbin added separately to reporters: “I hope it goes bigger.”

The go-it-alone effort comes as hopes of passing immigration reform have stalled out in Congress after months of behind-the-scenes talks. 

The House passed legislation earlier this year to provide a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers,” immigrants brought into the country illegally as children. 

But that’s gone nowhere in the Senate as Durbin has been leading bipartisan negotiations that have been slow going. 

“I’m always open to bipartisan talks and maybe there will be some movement after this Texas decision, but it has not been encouraging,” Durbin said.