Seven Republicans in the House broke with their colleagues by voting for an amnesty bill Tuesday that would grant protection from deportation to illegal immigrants and give millions a path to permanent citizenship status.
The seven Republicans were:
Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon
Florida Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart
Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick
Texas Rep. Will Hurd
Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse
New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith
Michigan Rep. Fred Upton
The American Dream and Promise Act passed the House with a vote of 236-187. The legislation was brought forward by Democratic California Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard and will provide permanent status to illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally as minors, as well as to those living in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status.
Apprehensions of immigrants have increased every month since January. There have also been more than 100,000 encounters at the southern border in both March and April.
Migrants are pictured occupying the Paso Del Norte Bridge on November 4, 2018 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Photo credit: PAUL RATJE/AFP/Getty Images)
The legislation would make it so 2.1 million immigrants “would be eligible under the measures for Dreamers, undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children.”
House Judiciary Committee Republicans criticized Democrats for pushing the bill forward, listing reasons why amnesty should not be granted to illegal immigrants. (RELATED: House Passes Mass Amnesty Bill Which Would Give Millions Of Illegal Immigrants A Path To Citizenship)
President Donald Trump’s administration has already threatened to veto the legislation, saying it would be “undermining key administration immigration objectives and policy priorities, such as protecting our communities and defending our borders.”
The bill is likely to be shut down in the Republican-controlled Senate.