Franken won’t vote for immigration bill

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) said Tuesday that he won’t support an immigration bill the Senate is expected to take up Friday.

Franken said lawmakers should focus on passing comprehensive immigration legislation.

“While I still believe Congress needs to act, I think we need to keep the executive actions in place until we do, and I will not support any legislative efforts to undo President Obama’s executive actions,” the Minnesota Democrat said during a speech from the Senate floor.

{mosads}Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that senators would vote to take up an immigration bill that would eliminate two new immigration programs launched by President Obama late last year, while allowing a 2012 initiative targeting younger immigrants to continue as designed. 

McConnell also offered to take up a clean bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security through Sept. 30. The move separates the spending bill from the controversial immigration fight that is behind the legislative stalemate.

McConnell, during a press conference, suggested that the move was a win for Democrats, who have repeatedly called for a clean DHS funding bill.  The move could pressure Senate Democrats, who previously voiced concerns about Obama’s immigration actions but have objected to tying immigration to DHS funding.

Franken has previously raised concerns about Obama’s executive actions. He said Tuesday that he believes “that the best way to accomplish meaningful and sustainable immigration reform is through congressional action.”

“Once we pass a bill into law to fund the Department of Homeland Security, we can take a step forward and help a lot more people by passing comprehensive immigration reform, or we can take a step backward and harm a lot of people without getting any closer to the comprehensive immigration reform that we need,” he said. “I will vote to move forward, not backward.”