The American Immigration Council does not endorse or oppose candidates for elected office. We aim to provide analysis regarding the implications of the election on the U.S. immigration system.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved the $39.7 billion funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, including five amendments that attacked parts of President Obama’s executive actions on immigration and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The 236-191 vote for the spending measure passed essentially along party lines, although 2 Democrats supported the measure and 10 Republicans voted against it.

One amendment to end DACA narrowly passed by 218 to 209 after 26 Republicans voted no along with all Democrats. That was an increase over the 11 Republicans who broke with their party to vote against a similar measure last summer that also attempted to end DACA. During debate about the anti-DACA amendment, Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA) claimed, “Make no mistake about it: this program has become a magnet for drawing children from Central America.” Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) said it was nothing more than a vote to deport DREAMers who benefit from DACA. “The amendment is one more of the same anti-immigrant type of rhetoric that has dominated conservatives and is further evidence that the majority is not interested in fixing our broken immigration system,” he said.

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