Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake told reporters Thursday that his bipartisan group of negotiators have reached a deal on a proposal that would shield hundreds of thousands of recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program from deportation in exchange for enhanced border security measures.
Details of the agreement were not immediately available, and the White House has already said it is skeptical of any plan negotiated by this small group of six senators.
Members of the Senate Republican leadership are also doubtful that the group’s plans will win the blessing of the broader Republican conference.
But a first step is still significant.
Flake told reporters that the next step was to share the proposal with the White House. CNN confirmed with Flake’s office that the comments were accurate.
Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat from Colorado, told CNN “I think we’re getting close” as he walked onto the Senate floor Thursday.
The group of senators has been on the cusp of a deal all week, with Republicans and Democratic negotiators arguing the urgency was more real than ever with an upcoming funding deadline on January 19.
This story is breaking and will be updated.