As the flood of migrants pouring across the southern border continues unabated, Democrats in Congress are working to protect more of the illegal immigrants who are already here. This week, the House passed H.R. 6, a.k.a. "The American Dream and Promise Act." The bill grants legal protections to so-called "Dreamers," younger people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, and gives them a path to citizenship. The bill also protects certain other classes of illegals from deportation, such as those claiming temporary humanitarian protections.
H.R. 6 passed the House 237-187, with seven Republicans joining all Democrats in support. The bill's passage drew loud cheers from Dems on the House floor, but their celebration will likely be short-lived. The bill faces almost zero chance of passing the Republican-led Senate.
Many Republicans in the House blasted the bill, saying it would only worsen the crisis at the border and encourage more illegal immigration. Houston Congressman Dan Crenshaw noted in a video that the bill greatly expands the definition of a Dreamer. "Basically, you can be a 45-year-old man, you could say that you came here as a teenager, and you could say you're a Dreamer," says Crenshaw. "So this isn't really a fix for Dreamers, it is pure amnesty."
Woodlands Congressman Kevin Brady released a statement explaining why he voted against the bill. "Instead of addressing the multi-faceted immigration problem that we're facing, H.R. 6 offers unregulated access to citizenship and makes it easy for criminals and gang members to access green cards," wrote Brady. "House Democrats continue to politicize immigration reform rather than work on bipartisan solutions to address the border crisis."