Senate Democrats press Biden to strengthen immigration protections before Trump takes office

Washington — A group of Senate Democrats is pressing President Biden to work to "protect immigrant families" in the final weeks of his presidency, with President-elect Donald Trump set to take office next month.

"As Senators who represent diverse states across our nation and who collectively represent millions of immigrant families, we write to express our deep concern about the threat the incoming administration poses to immigrants in our communities," the group of senators, led by Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, wrote in a letter to the president Monday.

The senators cited Trump's threat of mass deportations that they say will "jeopardize the safety and security" of millions of families, "sow deep distrust and fear" in the communities and "destabilize the U.S. economy." And they urged Mr. Biden to take a number of actions in advance of Trump's inauguration, stressing that the "window to secure and finalize your administration's policies is closing rapidly."