Senators draft bipartisan framework to legalize DACA recipients and extend Title 42 

Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have drafted a framework that seeks to grant DACA recipients citizenship and bolster security at the U.S.-Mexico border. 

The two senators are seeking to take advantage of the lame-duck session—the period between the midterm elections and the new Congress—to pass legislation, including several immigration reforms. 

One of the reforms they seek to pass addresses the recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, an Obama-era policy that gave a temporary reprieve to undocumented migrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. 

Many of the 616,030 children who entered the program, the so-called “Dreamers,” are now adults and are working in the country but unable to return to their home countries or become U.S. citizens. Through the framework, Tillis and Sinema seek to establish a pathway for them to receive citizenship. 

The framework also includes an extension of the Trump-era border policy Title 42, which allows border agents to quickly expel migrants who are seeking to enter the United States under the pretext of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Additionally, the framework for the bill has around $25 billion to $40 billion in border security funding, which included a pay raise for Border Patrol agents and the provision of more resources for Customs and Border Protection officers, reported CNN. 

However, the details of such a legislative draft have not yet been finalized. Furthermore, it is unclear whether there will be enough support in the Senate for the regulation to advance, of which at least 60 votes in favor are needed.