Congress is working to pass a spending bill by the end of next week with one topic sitting at the forefront of the debate.
Democrats and Republicans have deliberated a compromise on immigration reform for months, with the conflict primarily focusing on President Trump's demand for border wall funding. The bargaining chip on the table is a legislative fix of the fate of so-called "DREAMers."
The term refers to people who were brought to the United States as children and were protected from deportation under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy.
When the program was rescinded by the Trump administration last fall, the president gave Congress until March to provide a legislative remedy to DACA recipients' status. Congressional Republicans have indicated they would be unwilling to tie a DACA fix to any spending bill.
Passing standalone legislation protecting immigrants covered under the former policy would prove difficult in a Republican-dominated House and Senate, despite some GOP legislators such as Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, showing interest in providing protections for the once-covered group of immigrants.
The president met with legislators from both parties on Tuesday at the White House to discuss and negotiate on immigration.
Some legislators have expressed optimism about a compromise, but other advocates of legislative action to protect DACA recipients have indicated that one involving border wall spending might not receive support from some Democrats. Texas Rep. Joaquín Castro, D-20th District, in a Sunday interview on MSNBC, indicated this could be the case, citing public support for a DACA fix and opposition to the wall in his home state.
Jesse Naranjo
