Immigration activists holding a sit-in at Sen. Michael Bennet’s Denver office continue their protest into Thursday.
Six protesters entered the Democratic senator’s office Wednesday, demanding that he vote no on a budget vote expected Thursday to prevent a government shutdown at midnight because it doesn’t address their concerns. They were still in Bennet’s office Thursday evening.
The activists are also asking Bennet, who has been active on immigration in recent years, to set up a meeting with other senators to discuss the program that helps immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. They want him to issue a public statement following the meeting and also set-up a public meeting with constituents.
The White House announced earlier this week that a March 5 deadline, when work permits begin to expire for DACA recipients, will not be extended.
Bennet has already spoken to the protesters on the phone. A spokeswoman for the senator said Wednesday that he is continuing to work for a bipartisan solution that will protect DACA recipients, often referred to as Dreamers.
The senator has been part of a group of senators nicknamed the “Gang of Six,” who have worked in recent months on legislation that would bolster border security and provide a pathway to citizenship for residents who illegally immigrated to the U.S. as children. He also co-authored a massive immigration package in 2013 that aimed to bolster border security while offering a pathway to citizenship for immigrants living in the country illegally.
Updated Feb. 10, 2018: Using information from a release sent by activists, an earlier version of this story reported seven protesters were holding a sit-in. There were six.