Border security could be key to saving Dreamers

Republicans are demanding tougher immigration enforcement, and Democrats are willing to deal.

Democrats and Republicans scrambling to protect Dreamers before a March deadline will almost certainly have to swallow tougher immigration measures in return.

GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill, from the top tiers of leadership down to key rank and file, are quickly coalescing around pairing a measure that codifies the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program into law with some modest security and enforcement measures.

This means that President Donald Trump’s desire to construct a 2,000-mile border wall and slash legal immigration limits are all but off the table. Ditto measures, at least for Democrats, that would put other undocumented immigrants, such as the parents of Dreamers, more at risk of deportation. But other, more modest measures are in play.


Other Republicans are privately and publicly pitching various immigration ideas that they think could be paired with a DACA fix. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) has proposed adding to DACA legislation his legislation to create a three-year temporary worker visa program, arguing that it would help end the incentive for illegal immigration by providing more avenues to come here legally.

Meanwhile, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) has spoken to other lawmakers about a measure bolstering E-Verify, a system that allows employers to check whether their workers are in the United States legally.

“That would be, substantively, I think the most effective way to deal with the enforcement issues,” Portman said. “But I’m not suggesting I wouldn’t support dealing with DACA otherwise.”

Other Senate Republicans, including Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Dan Sullivan of Alaska, said in interviews on Wednesday that they want to address a legislative fix for DACA in tandem with border security measures.

“Nothing on DACA probably, certainly, doesn’t get done in September, might not get done this year, but will get done in time for anybody impacted by it to be protected,” said Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, the fifth-ranking Senate Republican. “I don’t think it’s likely to be part of a comprehensive bill, but I think it’s certainly possible that it be either passed simultaneously or with some other immigration issue.”

Still other Republicans are simply eager to protect the Dreamer population in any way Congress can.

“I’d support anything that might help resolve that problem,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who helped write the original DREAM Act giving legal status to young undocumented immigrants in 2001. “I don’t want to see these young people, who have tremendous potential, shut down or hurt.”

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/0...ty-daca-242413

Best article I've read so far . Seems like Orinn Hatch our prodigal grandfather of the dream act is back!! Also , Durbin ruled out the wall and everify . Democrats and some republicans have ruled out the RAISE act . I think Dems are open to anything else .

I posted this in another thread, but since it's a good article it can have it's own thread so people don't miss it.

Another article confirming that DACA for border security seems to be becoming the consensus right now.... would obviously much rather have the DA ofc

so they're pushing for DACA to be reinstated along with border security instead of dream act with border security or even RACA with border security?
rofl what.

I think this is good and more realistic, I can see the Democrats compromising for border security, but not for RAISE ACT or other extremist immigration reform

it's no going to be DACA. It will be the dream act or some version of it. DACA doesn't fix the issue, it's only temporarily. Dems wont go along with DACA only.

Watch UWD say no!!! No border security

That would be stupid... If that happens we will organize a March opposing them to expose them.

I don't mind border security ,E-verify or wall to exchange for DACA amnesty

They mean dream act .