Bob Menendez: It was "painful" to vote for the "border surge" amendment

“It was painful to me, and not only in the sense that I believe that it’s a bad policy, as chairman of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, I believe that it’s a bad policy regarding neighboring countries,” said Menendez in an interview with Univision, according to a transcript…

Menendez, who helped craft the bipartisan deal as a member of the Gang of Eight, said he accepted the changes to prevent losing another opportunity to enact immigration reform.

After 20 years … of fighting for comprehensive immigration reform, I was tired of trying to get what’s ideal and keeping millions of people in the dark and without a path to legalization and citizenship,” said Menendez. “So I accepted some difficult decisions to promote the chance for millions who work out in the open but live in hiding to finally live their lives completely in the open.”