The Senate left hundreds of thousands of "Dreamer" immigrants in limbo Thursday, rejecting rival plans that would have spared them from deportation and strengthened the nation's border security.
Senators dealt President Donald Trump an especially galling defeat as more than a quarter of fellow Republicans abandoned him on an issue that helped propel him to the White House.
Also rejected was a modest plan by Sens. John McCain and Chris Coons. It would have let many Dreamers qualify for permanent residency and directed federal agencies to more effectively control the border by 2020.
On behalf of a still-absent McCain, Coons made his case for the bill on the Senate floor.
“I’ve been honored to have started this discussion, this debate with Senator McCain by filing our bill, which is a bipartisan bill, that is I believe is the most bipartisan bill before this chamber,” Coons said.
But the McCain/Coons proposal didn't offer a special citizenship pathway, raise border security funds or make sweeping changes in legal immigration rules and was rejected.
Coons blames the failure on White House sabotage.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.