House Republican leaders on Thursday released a draft of immigration legislation that would provide legal protections for undocumented young people known as DREAMers while also providing more than $23 billion for a wall along the border with Mexico.
The draft legislation, circulated by House Speaker Paul Ryan and other leaders to rank-and-file GOP lawmakers, is intended to be a compromise on an issue that has bitterly the party. A vote is likely next week, but it is unclear if the legislation has the votes to pass or if President Trump will back it.
The draft, obtained by USA TODAY, would seek to avoid separating immigrant children from their parents. If passed, the bill would also eliminate the diversity visa lottery system and narrow family-based migration to immediate family members.
Ryan committed to bringing up the compromise bill along with a separate piece of legislation put together by conservative Republicans. The announcement of the votes was set in order to tamp down a growing rebellion from GOP moderates, even if neither piece of legislation is guaranteed to pass.
The conservative proposal, which Trump supports, would cut legal immigration, strengthen border security, and provide temporary legal status to the DREAMers. That bill likely lacks the votes to pass because of opposition by moderates.
Both Republican measures are unlikely to get support from Democrats who oppose the border wall spending and want more robust protections for DREAmers.
