Daily DACA Round-Up: 1/11/18

uion1715 · 10:25 PM

There are no ifs or buts about it. Today was a shitshow of epic proportion, perhaps the chaos rivaling the day Sessions announced the end of DACA.

Seung Min Kim from Politico (Who you should follow) has put together a good recap of the crazy day: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...ign-off-336501

But let's start from the beginning:

After much confusion, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) and their group of six announced that they have come to a bipartisan agreement in principle.

What's the deal? Here's NBC Capitol Hill Reporter Leigh Ann Caldwell.

https://twitter.com/LACaldwellDC/sta...43150304223232

In a nutshell: A 12-year pathway to citizenship (w/ an effectively 10-year pathway for DACA recipients: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...ign-off-336501) for DACA-ELIGIBLE applicants.

This comes with $1.6 b. investment in "fence barrier, technical surveillance, training and retention for agents" and additional $1.2 b. for other border priorities for a combined $2.8 b. investment in border security. (Other outlets have reported the figure to be $2.7 b., not $2.8 b, for what it's worth)

Furthermore, it would delay green card holders from sponsoring their adult children until they become USC (https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...ign-off-336501).

The deal also proposes ending or revamping visa lottery (https://twitter.com/NewsHour/status/951575969617367040) with at least some of the 50k visas allocated through the lottery going to those affected by TPS (Salvadorians, Haitians, etc.)

Lastly, this deal proposes a three-year TPS (Think forever extendable BRIDGE Act - Work permit but no GC or USC) for parents of DACA (https://twitter.com/NewsHour/status/951575969617367040).

The details are still unclear in a lot of ways, and I'd assume we'll see the official outline released by the group over the upcoming days.

Meanwhile, the blowback has been fierce from both sides:

On the left...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Politico

Members of the three minority caucuses — the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus — have registered the fiercest opposition to the emerging plan. They say it goes far beyond what should be discussed when lawmakers draft a plan on Dreamers, particularly because the plan is likely to change family sponsorship laws.

(https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...ign-off-336501)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Congressional Black Caucus Chair Cedric Richmond (D-LA)

Now that (Trump's) motivations are clear, the Congressional Black Caucus calls on all Members of Congress, including those negotiating on the immigration deal, to reject any and all efforts to end the Diversity Visa Program.

(https://twitter.com/LisaMascaro/stat...07185670369280)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)

Some lawmakers have floated ending the diversity visa lottery but giving those visas to people who hold temporary protected status. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said that would amount to pitting “needy people against needy people.”

“That is taking the last crumbs out of the basket, walking into an impoverished community and throwing them on the ground,” Jackson Lee said. “That is unacceptable.”

(https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...b0365947f1898b)

On the right...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank Thorp (NBC News Congress Producer)

Cornyn pats the bipartisan #DACA working group on the head: "Hopefully they’ll contribute their ideas to the solution but it’s not going to be done by just a subgroup of the republican conference or the democratic caucus."

(https://twitter.com/frankthorp/statu...66485926940673)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Mattingly (CNN congressional correspondent)

Cotton/Grassley/Perdue say group of 6 DACA proposal "simply put, isn't serious"

(https://twitter.com/Phil_Mattingly/s...39278924201986)

WH officials, such as legislative affairs director Marc Short, said the president has not yet signed off - Saying "negotiations still have a long ways to go." (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...b0365947f1898b)

That brings us to Trump.

This morning, before the deal was outlined, Trump offered praise for Dreamers in his interview with WSJ.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donald Trump

"You have a lot of people of those 800(,000 Dreamers). They work hard, they have jobs. We need workers in this country. We need people to come in and work because I have a lot of companies moving in."

(https://twitter.com/laurameckler/sta...09399121993728)

Yet, when Sen. Graham and others brought their deal to the WH, Trump made his now infamous "shithole country" remark, upset at what he saw as an unnecessary accommodation to Haitians, Salvadorians and others affected by TPS.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trump

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?”

Stephen Miller, as always, had a hand:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Washington Post

Trump had seemed amenable to a deal earlier in the day during phone calls with lawmakers, aides said, but shifted his position in the meeting and did not seem interested in the bipartisan compromise.

The scene played out hurriedly in the morning. Graham and Durbin thought they would be meeting with Trump alone and were surprised to find immigration hard-liners such as Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) at the meeting. White House and Capitol Hill aides say Stephen Miller, the president’s top immigration official, was concerned there could be a deal proposed that was too liberal and made sure conservative lawmakers were present.

(https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...=.ac4c545ba0e5)

There is a good chance that whatever Congress comes up with, Trump will sign, so let's look at other groups as well. Some aides think it's actually the "Group of No. 2s" - Sen. Cornyn (R-TX), Rep. McCarthy (R-CA), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Rep. Hoyer (D-MD) and WH Chief of Staff John Kelly - that will come up with THE deal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dean DeChiaro (Roll Call immigration reporter)

Senior congressional aide on Graham-Durbin #DACA proposal: “The Cornyn/McCarthy/Durbin/Hoyer group is where the action is and decisions will likely be made. A bipartisan group of lawmakers briefed the WH today on the Graham and Durbin proposal and it's clear it's a non-starter.”

(https://twitter.com/DeanDeChiaro/sta...74765931810816)

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called the group "five white guys," which Hoyer took offense at. But it can be argued that she does have a point - Getting CBC, Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus support - will be important for Democratic votes, which will be necessary for a deal to pass.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pelosi

“The five white guys I call them, you know," Pelosi said at her weekly news conference. "Are they going to open a hamburger stand next or what?” Pelosi said, complaining that minority members of Congress were not involved in deciding the fate of Dreamers.

(https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...r-stand-336541)

You will notice that Democrats have not spoke much about the $2.7 b. border security funding in the group of six bill. Why? It seems like some Democrats, even those on more liberal side, are willing to provide significant funding for border security, even something that can be called the wall.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA)

"I would be willing to give the president a high-tech wall, and I would even be willing to give him some amount of money to build his wall to a certain degree," Speier responded. "But, frankly, it's money thrown away. I want to protect these kids, and I will do everything I can to make sure they're protected."

(http://freebeacon.com/issues/speier-...exchange-daca/)

So, where do we stand right now? It's more positive than yesterday, and having a bipartisan explicit agreement, even in principle, does help. But questions remain on where WH will stand, and whether senators and representatives can swallow those politically charged measures.

It does seem more clear than ever, as I outlined yesterday, that another CR - whether to hash out the technical details or just to buy more time - into February is necessary. But will GOP or Democrats vote on another CR? Especially since sequestration/automatic spending cut will kick in Jan. 21 absent a spending bill.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Politico

Defense hawks in the GOP, who say short-term spending bills cripple the military, are threatening to vote against another stopgap without a long-term deal in hand to increase Pentagon funding. Progressive groups, meanwhile, are pressuring Democrats to oppose any government funding measure without an accord to shield more than 700,000 Dreamers from deportation.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy told members in a closed-door meeting Thursday that a deal with Democrats is close but at least a week away, forcing Congress into the fourth stopgap in four months.

That next bill is expected to continue federal operations for four weeks, but could stretch even longer — posing a major problem for the Pentagon, which can't start new programs and could face training and maintenance hurdles if spending remains frozen at current levels. And defense hawks are now demanding proof of a deal to raise stiff budget caps before they agree to another punt.

(https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...ongress-337248)

Well, there it is. Another day, and another head-spinning developments. May God smile in our favor, and I'll see you tomorrow.

VJB2 · 01-11-2018, 10:26 PM

You’re awesome. Thanks for the good work!

ceaguila · 01-11-2018, 10:26 PM

Congressional leaders already sound doubtful about an omnibus/DACA deal next week.

So they have to do another CR. Only it’s not just a CR; it’s a suspension of spending caps.

Um, are conservatives down with that? Well, funny you should ask...

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...b0365947f1898b

fl_dreamer · 01-11-2018, 10:34 PM

Thanks for the update!

Swim19 · 01-11-2018, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceaguila

Congressional leaders already sound doubtful about an omnibus/DACA deal next week.

So they have to do another CR. Only it’s not just a CR; it’s a suspension of spending caps.

Um, are conservatives down with that? Well, funny you should ask...

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...b0365947f1898b

I made a separate thread addressing this earlier

http://dreamact.info/forum/showthread.php?t=80111

jaylove16 · 01-11-2018, 10:42 PM

Fucking Stephen miller lol. Why can’t Kelly get rid of this guy?

IbelieveIcanFly · 01-11-2018, 11:50 PM

Time to huddle back in our shitholes

Imthexman · 01-12-2018, 12:05 AM

This is probably why trump exploded.

The deal also proposes ending or revamping visa lottery (https://twitter.com/NewsHour/status/951575969617367040) with at least some of the 50k visas allocated through the lottery going to those affected by TPS (Salvadorians, Haitians, etc.)

NotADreamerPerSe · 01-12-2018, 12:18 AM

Fucking Miller. That revolting asshole is worse than scum.

jaylove16 · 01-12-2018, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Imthexman

This is probably why trump exploded.

The deal also proposes ending or revamping visa lottery (https://twitter.com/NewsHour/status/951575969617367040) with at least some of the 50k visas allocated through the lottery going to those affected by TPS (Salvadorians, Haitians, etc.)

His dumbass shouldn’t have ended it . At least should have waited till daca was resolved.

They need you!

Forum links

Resources

Join our list

National calendar of events

July

Daily DACA Round-Up: 1/11/18