US House rejects conservative immigration bill

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The House of Representatives rejected Thursday a conservative Republican measure to address the nation's immigration laws with leadership delaying a planned vote on a compromise bill.

As it stands, the Republican’s more moderate compromise measure would allow a path to citizenship for undocumented migrants, known as "Dreamers," who came to the U.S. as children, and would codify an end to the Trump administration's now halted practice of separating undocumented families who cross into the U.S. illegally.

It would include additional curbs to legal immigration and grant President Donald Trump $25 billion to fund his long-promised border wall. He previously insisted Mexico would pay for the separation barrier, a notion Mexico has repeatedly and adamantly rejected.

The hard-right measure that failed Thursday did not include a path to citizenship for Dreamers, but would have also required immigration authorities to keep undocumented families together. It included border wall funding and different curbs on legal immigration.

It was widely expected to fail in the chamber, and was defeated 231-193.

Trump signaled the more conservative bill's grim fate when he tweeted earlier Thursday: "What is the purpose of the House doing good immigration bills when you need 9 votes by Democrats in the Senate, and the Dems are only looking to Obstruct (which they feel is good for them in the Mid-Terms)."

He repeated his call to Senate leadership to remove the filibuster rule, a move so far rejected by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell because of the significant consequences it would have on the legislative process.

The House is expected to vote on the more moderate bill Friday, according to multiple media reports.

But its future is uncertain with conservative Republicans unlikely to support a measure that gives undocumented migrants a chance to attain legal status. Doing so has been derisively called granting "amnesty" to those who entered the country illegally.

Democrats have also balked at the included border wall funding and immigration curbs.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said the more moderate Republican bill is "a compromise with the devil."