On the heels of President Trump’s decision to rescind DACA in six months, Republicans in Congress are scrambling to devise a plan that both fixes the holes in immigration without giving away the farm while also preventing Democrats from getting their wish list on amnesty.
But that may become exceedingly difficult this month as Rep. Luis Gutierrez is warning that Democrats are prepping to shut down the government if Republicans don’t pass the DREAM Act.
Recall that President Obama issued the executive order for DACA after the DREAM Act failed in the Senate.
This could be the fight that determines next year’s election results and whether Republicans lose control of Congress.
Here’s more from Washington Examiner…
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., said he and other liberal House Democrats are prepared to support a government shutdown if House members fail to pass the Dream Act and protect hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants from being deported.
“We have a Democratic caucus where I know the vast majority of the members of the Democratic caucus are ready to say ‘If there is no pathway forward, not only for the 800,000 and for visas for all of you, but also for the rest of immigrant youth through the Dream Act, then there is no government for anyone,'” Gutierrez said Friday during a press conference with the United We Dream advocacy group. “We will shut it down or let the Republicans keep it open with their own votes.”
Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, who was also at the event, later confirmed to Mic that the “vast majority of the progressive caucus” support shutting down the government in this event.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday that DACA would end under the Trump administration within six months, providing Congress time to respond accordingly. Obama established DACA in 2012 through an executive order, and it applies to approximately 800,000 illegal immigrants ages 15-36, protecting them from deportation.
There is a bipartisan push by Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to pass legislation in the form of the Dream Act. With this bill, DACA recipients and others who have lived in the U.S. for four years would receive permanent legal status.
“Republican leaders have the power the bring the Dream Act to a vote,” a senior caucus aide told Mic. “Until they do, we will continue to force a vote using a discharge petition and any other strategy that gets us a vote on the Dream Act.”
