The Senate failed to advance debate on a compromise border bill for a second time this year, reports Al Weaver of The Hill. There were only 43 votes in favor of moving forward on the bill, which was originally introduced in February by a cross-partisan group of Democratic, Republican, and Independent senators.  

The outcome of the vote was widely expected, and the bill garnered opposition from both sides of the aisle. Of note, two of the earlier bill’s three primary negotiators, Sens. James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Arizona) voted no, arguing that yesterday’s vote was more about political optics than passing legislation, as reported by Ariana Figueroa of States Newsroom.  

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) said of the vote, "[I]n the polling data, Democrats, Republicans, and independents are all on the same page: act on a bipartisan bill, get something done, don’t play political games."  

A team at Politico walks through the reactions across the political spectrum and what is at stake on immigration amid the debate.  

The Forum and other organizations recently proposed a framework that offers workable solutions on asylum and border improvements. Before the vote in the Senate, the Forum reiterated the need for an actual negotiation on immigration policies. "Legislators from both sides of the aisle must engage in an honest dialogue that leads to practical changes in our immigration system," said Jennie in a statement. "This discussion should include long-term solutions for Dreamers and the workforce, as well as for the border. The vote on this bill should not be the end of the debate."  

Separately, unauthorized crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border in May are down by more than 50% from December 2023, reports Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News, The decline appears to be at least partly due to ramped up enforcement by Mexican authorities, according to officials. 

A quick note — We hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend. We’ll be back in your inbox on Wednesday. 

Welcome to Friday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Clara Villatoro, the Forum’s senior strategic communications manager, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Jillian Clark, Dan Gordon and Ally Villarreal. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected]. 
 

INTERPRETATION SERVICES — Language barriers are one of the big challenges migrants face in immigration court. Jaime Fatás-Cabeza, an associate professor at the University of Arizona, writes on the need for adequate interpretation services for asylum seekers in an op-ed for the Arizona Republic. "People fleeing trauma and hardship should be able to communicate clearly with the people in charge of their fate. They should be able to participate in the legal process," he writes. "We can — and must — do better." 

DELAYS — The upcoming anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is only punctuated by recipients facing extreme delays in the renewal of their permissions, writes Maribel Hastings for Latino Los Angeles. "My clients are emotionally exhausted…It’s very hard to put into words the impact of that stress and then lose your ability to do what you’re doing, day-to-day, which is to provide for yourself and your families. It’s truly catastrophic," said Karen Tumlin, an immigration lawyer and director of Justice Action Center. 

RESETTLED — Of the 14,000 refugees that have resettled to Washington state, nearly half are children, reports Jadenne Radoc Cabahug of Cascade PBS. Parkside Elementary School in Des Moines is one of the schools welcoming more immigrant and refugee students. Baheer Hedayee, one of its students, and his family share how they have found support in the school. 

This week in local welcome: 

INNOVATION — A new study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research shows the innovation and new businesses immigrant entrepreneurs often bring to the United States, writes Stuart Anderson for Forbes. The authors of the study highlight that "Immigrants contribute disproportionately to entrepreneurship in many countries, accounting for a quarter of new employer businesses in the U.S." 

Thanks for reading,  

Clara