Immigration activists ended a nearly 44-hour sit-in at Sen. Michael Bennet’s Denver office after the Democrat voted against Thursday night’s budget agreement.
At 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, six immigration activists entered the office for Bennet, who has been active on immigration issues in recent years. They demanded that he vote against this week’s proposed budget agreement, which bolstered military and domestic programs but left out immigration reform.
Activists also asked Bennet to hold a meeting with other senators to discuss Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the program that helps immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children. They also asked for a public meeting with constituents.
In a statement Friday, Bennet cited concerns about the deficit when explaining his vote. The budget agreement was signed into law Friday but not before the government shut down briefly overnight.
“Although I support many of the defense and non-defense provisions in the bill, I cannot in good conscience support this level of deficit spending in a growing economy,” he said.
Read my statement on why I voted against the budget agreement:
— Michael Bennet (@SenatorBennet)
The activists left at 11 a.m. on Friday, said Emma Bliesener, one of the protesters. The group had referred to themselves as “the Denver6.”
“We’re on the same team here,” she said. “We just want to make sure everyone is doing everything in their power to support the immigrant community.”
Earlier this week, the White House announced that it would not extend a March 5 deadline, when work permits begin to expire for DACA recipients, often referred to as Dreamers.
Bennet has been one of the senators involved in the so-called “Gang of Six” in recent months. The group is attempting to develop a comprehensive immigration package. After protesters entered his lobby Wednesday, Bennet tweeted that the group had another meeting set up to discuss DACA. He tweeted out his support for DACA recipients Thursday morning.
In 2013, Bennet was part of the so-called “Gang of Eight,” a bipartisan group of senators who co-authored a massive immigration package.
Looking forward to another bipartisan meeting tomorrow on DACA/Dream with Senators Graham, Flake, Durbin, and others. Continuing to work together to find a solution to protect .
— Michael Bennet (@SenatorBennet)
Thank you to all of the Dreamers, advocates & Coloradans who have not stopped working for one minute to ensure we keep families together in this country. We continue to carry your voices into every meeting with Senate colleagues to find a solution. We won’t stop fighting for you.
— Michael Bennet (@SenatorBennet)