The new immigration reform plan negotiated by Democratic and Republican senators over the past few months, which finally saw the light of day this week, can only be described as a missed opportunity.
Knowing that no bill would have a chance of passing unless it made significant concessions to House Republicans, the proposal leaves everyone dissatisfied.
As in the old days of American carrot-and-stick politics, the proposal includes much more of the former and very little of the latter.
Its most controversial clause gives the president of the United States the authority to close the border with Mexico if the average number of encounters of undocumented immigrants exceeds 5,000 people in the span of a week.
In extraordinary circumstances, the president of the United States would have the ability by executive order to close the border even if that number is smaller.
Another of its provisions would significantly restrict the granting of permits under the authority of humanitarian parole, known as parole, which has benefited thousands of Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicaraguans and Haitians, among other groups.
In return, the bill would speed up the asylum process so that it can be completed within six months and would speed up the issuance of work permits for beneficiaries.
The plan has gaps the size of an ocean. It does not include any protection for DACA recipients, our dreamers, nor a comprehensive reform of the immigration or asylum court process. Much stick, little carrot.
The reality is that this bipartisan group, no matter how well-intentioned, tried to put together an impossible puzzle: under the orders of Donald Trump, House Republicans decided that they will not give any political victory to President Biden in this election year.
Under this electoral logic, Republicans will only accept a proposal that is a faithful copy of Trump’s orders, in such a way that the candidate for the Republican presidential nomination can take credit for its success.
As expected, the bipartisan proposal is not going anywhere. It probably does not even have the votes to be approved in the Senate itself, where 60 senators are required, much less in the House of Representatives, where its leadership made it clear that it will not even be considered for a vote.
The president and Senate Democrats could say they tried to do something and were blocked by Republicans. While these could argue that the plan was insufficient to contain the migration crisis.
The outcome of this song and dance is a new period of political, legislative and immigration stagnation during 2024. A fact that Hispanic voters should keep in mind when they cast their vote on November 5.
