American lawmakers are ready to cooperate on a new immigration bill
According to a statement by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, as reported by Voice of America, this agreement to work on four priority areas was reached during a closed portion of a meeting held on Tuesday, January 9, at the White House. U.S. President Donald Trump met with lawmakers from both parties, urging them to find a compromise on the fate of thousands of young illegal immigrants, but again stressed that any agreement on this issue must include funding for the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico.
During the meeting, Trump stated that he is ready to sign any bill protecting immigrants from deportation, provided it includes the border security measures he is seeking. "No wall, no security," he said. "You need to come up with a solution, and if you do, I'll sign it," he told the congressmen.
Trump and the Republicans who control Congress are sharply divided from Democrats; both parties are preparing for the upcoming midterm elections in November. Trump insists that any immigration agreement must include funding for the wall on the Mexican border and stricter immigration restrictions. "We will build that wall," Trump promised, speaking last Monday in Nashville, Tennessee.
Democrats are seeking to protect from deportation the beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which expires in early March. This concerns the so-called "Dreamers" – immigrants who arrived in the country as minors. According to rough estimates, there are about 700,000 of them in the country.
However, under pressure from immigrant organizations, Democrats do not want to yield to Trump on the wall issue, which was one of the central points of his campaign platform. "There were some discussions, but our position is clear, and their position is also roughly clear. We want to delve into this issue and see if there are opportunities for negotiation," a White House representative stated.
Leading members of Congress are not expected to attend the meeting on Tuesday. However, the list of invitees includes congressmen from both parties involved in immigration discussions, including Republican Senators John Cornyn and Tom Cotton, as well as Democratic Senator Dick Durbin. House Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi indicated that she does not expect significant progress from this meeting. "I would have more faith in the success of this meeting if people who truly understand the situation on our side were going," she said, adding that she is not criticizing Durbin.
Among the "Dreamers" are many from Mexico and Central American countries who have spent most of their lives in the U.S., attended American schools, and are actively involved in public life. In September, Trump called their fate into question by announcing his intention to cancel the DACA program, which allowed them to temporarily live and work legally in the U.S.
Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas, invited to the meeting, had earlier expressed hope that a solution could be found but acknowledged that disagreements remain. "DACA is very important to us, but so is border security," he said in an interview with CNN. "But there are some people, some of my Republican colleagues and the president himself, who believe that the only way to ensure border security is to build a wall."
Democrat Steny Hoyer said that a DACA bill could get the necessary support despite disagreements between the parties over what measures should be taken to ensure border security. "Democrats are for border security," he told Trump during the meeting. "But, Mr. President, of course there are disagreements about how to achieve that."
Under pressure from conservatives, Trump stated that any agreement with Democrats on DACA must include an end to "chain migration," which could threaten the parents of "Dreamers" who still live in the country illegally, and the visa lottery.
Some Republicans in the House want to use the "Dreamers" bill to increase funding for immigration enforcement. Immigrant rights advocates fear that these funds could be used to target the relatives of young immigrants.
Republican Representative Martha McSally of Arizona, who planned to attend the meeting, believes that Democrats should be "more open" to Republican demands on border security and DACA. "These are reasonable demands," she noted. "It seems Democrats are just being stubborn."
Republican Senator Tom Tillis of North Carolina said that the main point of the meeting is not just a plan that lawmakers present to Trump – a plan he can accept or reject. "The point is not so much that we propose something and the president says 'yes' or 'no,' but that the administration is actively involved in the process," Tillis said, adding that the president is indeed doing so.