The Senate on Thursday rejected Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-Texas) immigration reform bill amendment that would have put mandatory border security triggers in place before immigrants were given legal status.
The Senate voted 54-43 to table the amendment, which was seen as crucial to get more Republican support for the legislation. But Sens. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) are expected to release an alternative border security enforcement amendment later Thursday.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) split with his fellow GOP Gang of Eight members by voting against tabling Cornyn’s amendment, while Sens. John McCain (Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Jeff Flake (Ariz.) voted to kill Cornyn’s amendment.