Bipartisan group of senators working through weekend to forge border security deal: "We have to act now"

Washington — A bipartisan group of senators is working through the weekend to forge a deal on asylum policy changes designed to reduce migrant crossings along the southern border, hoping to make a rare breakthrough on one of Congress's most intractable issues, three congressional officials told CBS News.

Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) are negotiating a compromise to overhaul how migrants are processed along the U.S.-Mexico border, where illegal crossings have soared to all-time highs over the past two years. The compromise they're envisioning would be part of a broader national security funding package requested by President Biden that includes aid to Israel, Ukraine and border security money, which Senate Republicans have conditioned on significant restrictions on asylum.

The bipartisan group spoke on Wednesday night to hash out a framework for the potential deal, and will continue their talks through the weekend alongside their staff, the congressional officials said. If a breakthrough materializes in the Senate, it's unclear if the Republican-led House would take up and pass a bipartisan border proposal that is not as strict as a measure it passed earlier this year.