Sen. Flake Floats Legislative Punt on Dreamers

Sen. Jeff Flake on Thursday suggested that lawmakers might need to kick the can down the road on Dreamers legislation if Democrats and Republicans can't hit the March 5 deadline, Politico reports.

The Arizona Republican said lawmakers might need to compromise on an immigration stopgap to extend protections for undocumented immigrants in exchange for some border security funding, Politico reported.

"That would be considered a failure by all of us to not do something permanent now," Politico quoted Flake. "This has been far too long for us and others to wait. But I do think, in the end, (Democrats) would take that."

Especially since Democrats likely want to make immigration a chief political issue ahead of the midterms.

"A lot of Democrats, a lot of the base, from what I hear, is just saying: 'Forget it. Wait for the midterms,'" Politico quoted Flake. "It’s not as if we hold all the cards here as Republicans."

Protections for Dreamers — as well funding for a border wall - were excluded from the bipartisan Senate stopgap funding bill ahead of Thursday's midnight deadline to fund the government.

• John Kelly: 'Dreamers' Are 'Not a Priority for Deportation'
• Hoyer: Shutdown Not Likely, But No Progress on Funding, DACA