Sen. Sinema's border bill failed. Could parts of her immigration plan resurface in 2024?

Kaely Monahan, Arizona Republic
Updated ·2 min read
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Migrants and asylum seekers wait to be picked up and processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument along the U.S.-Mexico border about a mile west of Lukeville, Ariz., on Dec. 4, 2023.
Migrants and asylum seekers wait to be picked up and processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument along the U.S.-Mexico border about a mile west of Lukeville, Ariz., on Dec. 4, 2023.
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The Senate shot down the $118 billion bipartisan bill that included reforms to how migrants access the asylum system in the U.S. and other border security provisions, along with aid to Israel and Ukraine.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema lambasted the quick killing of the bill and laid the majority of the blame on her GOP counterparts.

“We produced a bill that finally, after decades of all talk and no action, secures the border and solves the border crisis. Our bill was ready for prime time,” Sinema said Wednesday on the Senate floor.

“But less than 24 hours after we released the bill, my Republican colleagues changed their minds. Turns out they want all talk and no action. It turns out border security is not actually a risk to our national security. It’s just a talking point for the election.”

What was in the proposal that caused Senate Republicans to turn up their noses?

In this episode of The Gaggle, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl sit down with The Republic's immigration and border reporter, Rafael Carranza, to hash out what the proposal would have done and why the border and immigration are still political footballs that lawmakers are intent on kicking down the road.

The best way to listen is to subscribe to The Gaggle on your favorite podcast app, but you also can stream the full episode below.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What's next for Kyrsten Sinema's border security and immigration plan?