Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) released this statement following the Senate’s vote failing to invoke cloture on the Immigration Security and Opportunity Act , bipartisan legislation they introduced with 16 Senators to protect DACA recipients and to strengthen border security, by a vote of 54-45:

“Today’s vote was a missed opportunity.  Our bipartisan immigration proposal, which was the product of countless hours of negotiations and dialogue with our colleagues in the Common Sense Coalition, would have strengthened border security and protected children who were brought to this country illegally through no fault of their own.  Our amendment had broad, bipartisan backing—as indicated by the 54 Senators from both parties who voted in support—and received more support than any other immigration proposal.  Unfortunately, it failed to receive the 60 votes necessary to advance. 

“We are very disappointed by the misinformation that was spread about our legislation.  The press release that was distributed today by the Department of Homeland Security contained a number of statements that are absolutely false, and it was a real disservice to the brave men and women who work every day to defend our borders, enforce our immigration laws, and interdict illegal drugs smuggled into our country. 

“The deadline to protect DACA recipients—March 5^th—is fast approaching.  We will continue working to find a solution to these urgent immigration issues.”