House Dems chooses the party unit for the fight against the ice

Democratic leaders in the House are at risk of stalling what may be their best chance to force President Donald Trump to repair squalid conditions at the border for fear of sparking new quarrels within the caucus.

Democrats are striving to unclog migrants in congested detention centers and demanding accountability from the White House. But a bill to fund the US Department of Homeland Security – which could be used to urge US authorities to act at the border – is hotly contested and the party wonders whether it is worth vote.

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Democrats fear a fight for DHS funding and immigration will only exacerbate the tensions that rocked the caucus during last month's debate on humanitarian aid at the border. And that could put some Liberals in an almost impossible stalemate, effectively forcing them to vote to approve funds to agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which they want to remove.

"It's deeply difficult, with the cruelty and abuse that is occurring," said representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Co-Chair of the Progressive Congressional Caucus, in an interview. "Give more money – it's impossible for some people to vote for it."

The pressure on lawmakers for them to address immigration and the humanitarian crisis at the border are only increasing, with Trump threatening to deploy its ICE officials to conduct raids on Deportation to nearly a dozen cities this weekend.

While many Democrats are eager to use DHS's next funding bill to force the Senate and White House concessions that Republicans rejected a few weeks ago, they are also introducing legislation limiting the families and strengthening the training of immigration officials, such as Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar's bill will be discussed in the House later this month. In addition, Democrats held a series of hearings and press conferences to protest against Trump's policy in recent days.

Even so, even Escobar said that she wanted to see the Democrats vote on the DHS funding bill before the parliamentary recess.

"Of course, that would be my preference. And I shared my point of view with Lucille, "said Escobar about representative Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.), Chair of the subcommittee that oversees immigration funding from the federal government. "But she is a smart strategist and therefore knows what she's doing."

Escobar and others argue that a key bill to fund DHS would carry more weight with the Senate than other bills under consideration.

But this funding debate – which would be much broader than last month's humanitarian bill – could spur even more heated struggles between the parties over immigration, including cutting ICE funds or imposing caps. strict to detention beds.

According to the Democrats, it is a headache that is not worth fighting when the same problems may resurface in the fall's biggest battle on spending with the Republicans. In addition, they say there is little point in voting on a DHS bill that is more like a progressive wish list than a serious opening bid at this fall's funding talks.

"I do not think it will produce anything yet," said Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), Chair of the House Credits Committee.

Many would prefer to avoid another major immigration battle that would defile both liberals and moderates, and endanger a new explosion, such as the June hurricane of humanitarian aid that turned the caucus upside down.

Democrats say that they are not turning their backs on the humanitarian crisis. The House will vote this month on a package of bills to create standards of medical care for migrants and to strengthen Congressional oversight of border patrol vessels. But even some Democrats recognize that bills are largely symbolic and should not go anywhere in the Senate.

"It's really tricky," said Roybal-Allard, chief negotiator of DHS's funding bill, who also worked closely with the progressives and congressional caucus last month.

She said, for example, that ICE is being criticized for deportations but is also playing a role in the fight against trafficking in human beings.

"Is it worth going forward when we know what the Senate and the President have already said?", She said, adding that the House would have the right to make it happen. a long list of tasks to do in the coming weeks. "Where do we put all our energy?"

But even if Democrats in the House now fear the battle of immigration, the thorny issue will surely come back in September, as congressional leaders negotiate funding to keep the government open.

President Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), And other congressional leaders from both parties are in talks with the White House to discuss 39, adoption of a massive budget agreement this month that would set overall spending levels for the next two years.

But even if Congress approves the agreement, lawmakers on both sides will have to agree on a dozen or so bills to keep the government open beyond Sept. 30 – or adopt a bill. short-term budget bill and review negotiations later in the fall.

In any case, immigration will certainly be part of the debate. The previous funding battle led the government to partially stop for 35 days in a stalemate on the wall of the Trump border.

"Now, I think a lot of that leverage has gone," said Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas) about the fight for humanitarian aid. Vela, whose district is bordering Mexico, has led more than a dozen Democrats in the House visiting migrant detention centers last weekend. "But in this place, the leverage always comes back at some point, you never know when."

Some Democrats say the caucus should confront DHS funding directly on the ground, regardless of any internal conflicts that may result.

"I think difficult discussions need to be started," said Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), Who wants to discuss the DHS bill. "It's something that worries a lot of people, there may be another skirmish on the ground. We may be divided, but we should talk about it, we have to do it. "

Representative of the Congress Hispanic Caucus, Joaquin Castro, told reporters Friday that he thought the DHS bill would eventually be considered, but was "mostly concerned" by setting up safeguards for migrants .

And Jayapal, the Progressive caucus leader of Congress, said his caucus did not support a specific strategy.

"Regardless of the process, whether it's presented or not, we have made it clear that we have to weigh in this bill," she said.