A bipartisan group of senators is facing a make-or-break moment for their negotiations on a joint border security–foreign aid package as the year-end deadline for any deal  approaches. The would-be dealmakers — Senators Murphy, Lankford, and Sinema — have been huddling with Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas through the weekend in the hopes of reaching an agreement. 

Mr. Murphy, who is respected by his colleagues as a powerbroker on issues like gun control and foreign policy, told reporters that he has never worked on an issue as complicated as these contemplated changes to American asylum and immigration laws. 

“The drafting is sort of more fraught and more complicated than any other drafting,” Mr. Murphy told reporters on Thursday. While the talks are “productive,” he added, the issues at hand are “ten times more complicated” than the bipartisan gun reform bill he worked on last year. 

Some lawmakers are pessimistic that the upper chamber will be able to pass a bill — let alone draft it or even conclude negotiations — before Senator Schumer’s deadline,  set for this week. 

“I think this will go into next year,” Senator Graham told Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker on Sunday. “I’ve been talking to the people at the table. The White House got engaged five days ago. They sent over a supplemental with border security provisions that does nothing to change policy.”

“We’re not anywhere close to a deal,” Mr. Graham lamented. 

During an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Senator Cornyn said that while he believes the negotiators are “making some progress” toward a final deal, he warned his Democratic colleagues that he would not simply allow the  bill to be rushed through the Senate. 

“I know Senator Schumer thinks there’s going to be some deal cut behind closed doors and then jam it through the Senate and then jam the House,” he said. “That’s not going to happen.” 

Mr. Murphy blames the lack of progress on his GOP colleagues, who he says want to pass a “draconian” immigration reform bill aimed at drastically curbing legal immigration and asylum processing. 

“They are asking for very severe, very draconian immigration policy changes — policy changes that they know could not pass if they weren’t holding up support for the war against Vladimir Putin,” he told CNN on Tuesday. 

The White House has determined that Ukraine needs additional funding by the end of the year if it hopes to survive Russia’s aggression. The urgency on the part of Democrats has allowed Republicans to demand drastic changes to asylum law which they say is necessary in the wake of historic levels of illegal entry at the southern border. 

As the GOP twists Mr. Schumer’s arm on immigration, Democrats are at risk of losing their left flank. he Progressive Caucus and Hispanic Caucus are vowing to fight the deal. 

In a statement, the Hispanic Caucus co-chairman and co-chairwoman, Senator Padill and Congresswoman Nanette Barragán, said President Biden was turning his back on immigrants who are in the country illegally and who would face expedited removal if Senate Republicans win policy change concessions from Democrats. 

“Terrorizing communities across the U.S. by expanding expedited removal and ignoring our international obligations to provide asylum to those fleeing persecution, violence, and authoritarianism are nonstarters,” the lawmakers wrote. 

Other House members are decrying the deal before it is even drafted. “The fact that we are considering exchanging the lives of asylum seekers for Ukrainian lives is draconian and immoral,” said Congresswoman Delia Ramirez. Senator Menendez said the president should immediately withdraw from negotiations, warning that Mr. Biden was at risk of becoming the “asylum-denier-in-chief.”

Conservative House Republicans also despise the deal, saying the Senate GOP is not likely to win any meaningful policy changes even after the lower chamber passed their own hardline immigration reform bill known as H.R. 2 that would expedite removals and force detention of migrants at the border, among other things. 

“Our position is clear —  It’s HR2,” Congressman Chip Roy previously told the Sun. “If they ever want to have a thought of having Ukraine, then you better sit down and do the border. That’s it. That’s the end of the conservation.”

“We don’t need a carving off of HR2. Otherwise, just call Zelensky and say, ‘I’m sorry,’” he said.