No progress on 'Dreamers' as another U.S. shutdown looms

[rooster59]

No progress on 'Dreamers' as another U.S. shutdown looms

By James Oliphant and Amanda Becker

 

U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., February 2, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

 

STERLING, Va./ WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress made no notable progress this week toward a deal on the status of 700,000 "Dreamer" immigrants, with President Donald Trump saying on Friday that one "could very well not happen" by a deadline next month.

 

Whether the lack of progress signalled the possibility of another federal government shutdown next week was unclear, but it worried the Dreamers, young people who were brought illegally into the United States as children.

 

Trump said last year that he would end by March 5 a program that was set up by former President Barack Obama to protect the Dreamers from deportation, and he urged Congress to act before that date. No action has resulted.

 

"We want to make a deal," Trump said at an event in Virginia with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. And he blamed Democratic lawmakers for the impasse.

 

"I think they want to use it for political purposes for elections. I really am not happy with the way it's going from the standpoint of the Democrats," he said.

 

Democrats have said repeatedly that they want protections written into law for the Dreamers, who were given temporary legal status by Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which lets them study and work in the United States without fear of deportation.

 

Republicans, who control Congress, are undecided on what to do about DACA and the Dreamers. They ended a three-day retreat at a mountain resort in West Virginia on Friday not much nearer to consensus than they were a week ago.

 

The partisan standoff caused a partial shutdown of the federal government for three days last month after Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending measure needed to keep the lights on at federal facilities across the country.

 

The House of Representatives plans to vote on Tuesday on legislation to keep federal agencies operating beyond Feb. 8, when existing funds expire, a senior House Republican aide said.

 

The aide did not provide details, however, on the duration of this latest-in-a-series of temporary funding measures.

 

Democrats have leverage on the immigration issue because their votes are needed to pass spending measures in the Senate.

 

The next spending deadline looms on Thursday, with Democrats defiant in their demands and Republicans remaining divided.

 

FOUR-PART OFFER

 

Trump has offered the Dreamers a path to citizenship, but only on the condition he also gets funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as other immigration-related measures that Democrats oppose.

 

Last month, he proposed letting 1.8 million Dreamers stay in the country and become citizens in exchange for $25 billion for the wall, curbs on family-sponsored immigration, and an end to a visa lottery program.

 

Some lawmakers want Trump's four-part immigration framework pared back, while others want it approved or made even more strict on future immigration.

 

"If we can solve DACA and border security that may be the best I can hope for," Senator John Thune, a member of the Republican leadership, told reporters at the retreat.

 

Senator James Lankford was among Republicans who said this week that Trump could give Congress more time to reach a deal by extending the Dreamers' deadline beyond March 5.

 

Trump reiterated on Thursday at the retreat that all four components of his framework must be included in a deal, a stance viewed as unworkable by many lawmakers in both parties.

 

Some Republicans say the March 5 deadline lost its power last month when a federal court blocked the rescinding of DACA. That meant the law would remain in effect until the Supreme Court resolves the case, which is unlikely by March 5.

 

In a research note, financial firm Height Analytics set the odds of another shutdown next week at 65 percent.

 

Republicans are trying to call Democrats' bluff on DACA, but the Democrats look even more willing to allow a shutdown than they were last month, the analysts said. "What this has become is a very absurd game of chicken," they said in the note.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-03

[lovelomsak]

Dems the world over are the same not only by name. Could take all the Dems in USA put them in Thailand they would fit right in. Same mind set same goals same agenda.

  Dems only care about keeping power to hell with the American citizen. Dems want to win future votes from all the Dreamers and their offspring and relatives that will enter illegally. Let enough illegals in they will run the country through votes. And they will vote for their leader a Dem,good or bad as long as the illegals can keep up their illegal activities.

Edited February 3, 2018 by lovelomsak

[isaanbanhou]

1 minute ago, lovelomsak said:

Dems the world over are the same not only by name. Could take all the Dems in USA put them in Thailand they would fit right in. Same mind set same goals same agenda.

Could take all the Dems in USA put them in Thailand they would fit right in.

 

Perhaps one of the most enlightened posts i have read.  add 72 million american registered democrats to the Thai population and  you get a population density of approx 275 persons per sq km. About the same as Vietnam.

 

They would all fit in

[thaibeachlovers]

This one will be squarely on congress if there is a shutdown.

Congress is, IMO, proving itself to be full of useless blowhards that apparently can't actually do anything.

Swamp creatures indeed, the lot of them, both sides of the aisle.

No wonder congress polls somewhere below used car sales men in public opinion.

Edited February 3, 2018 by thaibeachlovers

[gabruce]

5 hours ago, isaanbanhou said:

Could take all the Dems in USA put them in Thailand they would fit right in.

 

Perhaps one of the most enlightened posts i have read.  add 72 million american registered democrats to the Thai population and  you get a population density of approx 275 persons per sq km. About the same as Vietnam.

 

They would all fit in

Reread his post. He isn't suggesting shipping all the Democrats here. It was about fitting in with the same goals and agenda. And yes, you would be correct if all of the registered Democrats moved here the population would almost double.

[Bluespunk]

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Trump reiterated on Thursday at the retreat that all four components of his framework must be included in a deal, a stance viewed as unworkable by many lawmakers in both parties.

So it’s the grand poobah of trumptopia who is causing the impass, not bi partisan politicking. 

 

Quelle surprise...

[thaibeachlovers]

16 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

So it’s the grand poobah of trumptopia who is causing the impass, not bi partisan politicking. 

 

Quelle surprise...

Perhaps Trump wants to appeal to his base, which want the Dreamers deported along with all other illegals.

Whatever, he can only sign a deal if it is presented to him, and they haven't even started the process yet, far as I can see.

Obama had 8 years to do something and only left a "booby trap" for Trump not long before his time was up. If he wants to blame anyone, look in the mirror.

[Langsuan Man]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Obama had 8 years to do something and only left a "booby trap" for Trump not long before his time was up.

Oh yes,  President Blackenstine knew 8 years in the past the Trump would be elected so he left booby traps for him

 

Like maybe a Supreme Court nominee, or infrastructure spending, or any of all the other policies that the Republicans supported as the party of NO 

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Perhaps Trump wants to appeal to his base, which want the Dreamers deported along with all other illegals.

Whatever, he can only sign a deal if it is presented to him, and they haven't even started the process yet, far as I can see.

Obama had 8 years to do something and only left a "booby trap" for Trump not long before his time was up. If he wants to blame anyone, look in the mirror.

Trump is the obstacle in the path of a deal.

[LPCustom69]

Amnesty (citizenship) should be off the table. Legal residence is all that should be granted.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, LPCustom69 said:

Amnesty (citizenship) should be off the table. Legal residence is all that should be granted.

Correct. Make them citizens and they can bring their parents that caused the problem in legally.

[stevenl]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Perhaps Trump wants to appeal to his base, which want the Dreamers deported along with all other illegals.

Whatever, he can only sign a deal if it is presented to him, and they haven't even started the process yet, far as I can see.

Obama had 8 years to do something and only left a "booby trap" for Trump not long before his time was up. If he wants to blame anyone, look in the mirror.

There was a bipartisan deal, he refused to sign, causing the shutdown.