White House to release 'legislative framework' for immigration deal Monday
- President Donald Trump will release a "legislative framework" on immigration issues Monday, the White House says.
- The framework "represents a compromise that members of both parties can support," said press secretary Sarah Sanders on Wednesday.
- Congress has until Feb. 8 to hammer out a compromise on immigration before the latest round of government funding runs out.
President Donald Trump will release a "legislative framework" on immigration issues Monday that "represents a compromise that members of both parties can support," said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders on Wednesday.
"This framework will fulfill the four agreed upon pillars" of a deal, she said. "Securing the border, and closing legal loopholes, ending extended family chain migration, canceling the visa lottery, and providing a permanent solution on DACA."
Sanders declined to say whether such a framework would include a path to permanent citizenship for the approximately 800,000 undocumented young people who are currently protected from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. "We encourage the Senate to bring it to the floor," she said.
Asked if such a bill would be able to pass the House of Representatives — where many Republicans say they refused to support a bill that would shield DACA recipients — Sanders replied, "We'd certainly like to think so."
Sanders notably did not use the word "wall" in describing the framework, although the president has said repeatedly that any deal on DACA must include funding for a physical border wall between the United States and Mexico.
After the brief government shutdown earlier this week, congressional Democrats on Wednesday emerged with a new red line: no funding for the wall.
Congress has until Feb. 8 to come up with a compromise immigration bill before the latest round of government funding runs out.