Republicans go ahead with a narrow solution to the migrant crisis created by Trump



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The Republicans continued Monday with a narrow solution to the crisis created by President Trump's migrant, while abandoning efforts for a broad immigration reform that would fund a border wall and treat the fate of undocumented youth.

With Trump proving to be an unpredictable ally, deeply divided Republicans say that they have little hope of rallying support for a broad set of reforms. However, GOP leaders are eager to adopt legislation that would allow migrant children to stay with their parents at the border.

Haunted pictures of children in metal cages and government reports fighting to reunite families sparked an international outcry that weighed heavily on the GOP five months before the mid-term elections.

Sen. John Cornyn (Tex.), The Senate's No. 2 Senate leader, told reporters on Monday that lawmakers will try to pass a bill aimed narrowly at solving the crisis this week. "Yeah, I mean, we should have done it last week," he said. "Yes, I hope so."

The measure being discussed in the Senate will remedy a flaw in the Trump decree law released last week that requires migrant children and parents not to be separated while in detention. This order potentially violates a 1997 court order requiring that children be released after 20 days. The Senate GOP proposal would allow children to stay longer with their parents in detention.

However, there was no guarantee that the Senate could act before lawmakers broke up for the break of a week of July 4th. GOP leaders face skepticism from Democrats who are reluctant to sign a revised policy that they believe could keep thousands of families in federal custody indefinite.

Democrats have also shown no willingness to help Trump deal with a crisis of his own making.

The leader of the senatorial minority, Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Was cautious about the prospect of a quick deal.

"I do not know, it's too early to say, okay?" Said Schumer. "We will definitely look at what people can imagine."

Senate Republicans also explored a relatively narrow solution that was introduced by Senator Thom Tillis (NC) last week. The bill would add 225 immigration judges and take steps to prevent the separation of migrant families, including speeding up the judicial process.

Tillis, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) And Two Democrats, Sens. Richard J. Durbin (Ill.) And Dianne Feinstein (California), met Monday night to discuss legislation.

On leaving, Feinstein called the caucus a "good first meeting" but added, "Nothing will happen this week, we do not think so."

Durbin said that there were some "basic philosophical disagreements" and explained that he and Feinstein pointed out that they are not willing to reduce the protection of children under the Ordinance of the 1997 tribunal. "Both Senator Feinstein and I have made it clear that we will not bring prices down," Durbin said.

His comment underscored the difficulty that Senate Republicans might face in trying to bring enough Democrats on board this week to pass the Tillis plan or something similar.

In the House, the days of last-minute negotiations have convinced senior Republicans that they are unlikely to pass a wide GOP immigration bill this week, prompting them to explore narrower legislation targeting the policy of family separation.

The Conservatives rejected the general bill as an "amnesty", fearing that it offers a path to citizenship not only to undocumented immigrant youth known as "dreamers", but ultimately to their parents.

The law also provides $ 25 billion for Trump's long-sought border wall, imposes limits on legal immigration and keeps migrant families in detention. House leaders have been preparing to bring the bill to a vote on Wednesday with support, which raises serious doubts.

Rep. Mark Meadows (RN.C.), Conservative House Freedom Caucus chairman and key negotiator, said Monday night that talks were underway, but acknowledged that some lawmakers were looking at Plan B. "Everyone is focused on the original bill now, but they are heading to, what are they doing after that? "he said.

Meadows said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), Leader # 4 House GOP, was working on a narrower solution. A spokesperson for McMorris Rodgers did not respond to messages asking for comments on the Meadows claim.

The most reputable Republicans have been reluctant to acknowledge that they would pursue a narrower bill focused on separated children, in hopes of keeping alive a vast measure aimed at reducing the gap between conservatives and moderates.

"We will cross this bridge if we get there," said House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) Last week.

But three GOP officials aware of the talks said on Monday that the proposed changes should not result in enough votes to pass the bill.

The talks largely focused on other issues, such as the addition of provisions requiring employers to use a federal database to verify the legal status of their workers and increase the number of temporary visas for agricultural workers. .

In an interview with Fox News Channel on Monday, Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) Said that the House would vote on the wider bill this week, and he blamed the Democrats for his potential death as well as the failure of a conservative bill last week.

"No Democrat would vote with us," McCarthy said of the vote. "If they're honest about wanting to secure the border, here's the opportunity."

But, more than Democrats, it's Trump who has emerged as an obstacle to a Republican immigration bill in the House. On Friday, he had weeks of talks stating that GOP lawmakers "should stop wasting their time" trying to pass a bill now rather than wait after the midterm elections .

"We can pass a good legislation after the red wave!" He said.

Trump is the best Republican to overcome the Conservative opposition to the immigration bill in the House, but despite a trip to Capitol Hill last week, he was not firmly enough behind the compromise to appease lawmakers who fear being overwhelmed from the right.

The White House continued to blame the Democrats on Monday and refused to weigh all its weight behind the GOP draft law, which was drafted in close collaboration with an administrative executive.

"The country has made it clear that it does not want open borders, and Democrats must understand that, and they must work with Republicans and find solutions," said the White House spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

While Republicans have repeatedly accused Democrats of favoring "open borders," Democratic leaders have regularly endorsed increased funding for border security – including potential funding – during recent bipartite negotiations on l & # 39; immigration.

The sales work was largely left to the Republican House leaders, who saw the recent negotiations not as a legitimate effort to enact a law, but as an attempt to appease the angry moderates who circulated a petition last month.

In a late attempt to gain support, proponents of the bill countered the idea that parents of dreamers would in fact be eligible for a massive amnesty. Once the dreamers have gone through the citizenship process – a path of at least eight years, under the bill – their parents will be able to apply for visas reserved for the parents of US citizens.

But this would imply serious obstacles: under the current law, illegal immigrants who have lived in the United States for more than a year must return to their home country and wait 10 years before applying for a job. Visa.

Philip Rucker contributed to this report.

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