© Greg Nash
Sen. Jeff Flake
Jeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakeTrump's NASA nominee advances after floor drama Senate GOP wary of new tax cut sequel GOP Senate hopefuls race to catch up with Dems MORE (R-Ariz.) said on Wednesday that he has secured a promise from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSenate blocks bill that opponents say weakens water pollution rules Pittsburgh police told to prepare for protests over potential Mueller firing: report Senate repeals auto-loan guidance in precedent-shattering vote MORE (R-Ky.) to bring up a legislative fix for a key Obama-era immigration program next month.
“I am ... pleased that the Majority Leader has committed to bring the bipartisan DACA bill we are currently negotiating to the Senate floor in January," Flake said in a statement, referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Flake's statement comes after he predicted early Wednesday morning that a bill would come up on the Senate floor next month, as lawmakers appear increasingly likely to punt the fight to next year.
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The Trump administration has announced it will end DACA, which allows immigrants brought into the country illegally as children to work and go to school.
Congress faces a mid-March deadline to pass legislation addressing the program or hundreds of thousands of immigrants will be at risk of deportation.
Flake is part of a bipartisan group of senators that have been negotiating an agreement that would link DACA to a border security package. Several key senators met with White House chief of staff John Kelly
John Francis KellyMORE on Tuesday to discuss the program.
John Francis KellyMORE on Tuesday to discuss the program. Some Democrats and immigration activists have been demanding that a deal gets passed this year and viewed the end-of-the-year spending bill as their best shot.
But key senators in both parties have signaled that it is increasingly unlikely as Congress appears ready to leave town this week until January.
Sen. John Cornyn
John CornynTrump's NASA nominee advances after floor drama Senate GOP wary of new tax cut sequel Amid struggle for votes, GOP plows ahead with Cabinet picks MORE (R-Texas), asked about the schedule for DACA, told reporters on Tuesday that Congress will "turn to it in January."Sen. Dick Durbin
Richard (Dick) Joseph DurbinDHS watchdog to investigate whether children are being separated from asylum seekers: report Senate Dems press Trump on legal justification for potential Syria strike US needs to respect Latin American leadership on Venezuela crisis MORE (D-Ill.) has pledged to oppose any government funding bill without a DACA fix, but signaled that it appeared unlikely to pass this year."Oh it is very, very difficult to imagine that it's done this year," Durbin said.
