The Hill: Push for DACA Amnesty Deal Gaining Steam in the House

Renewed bipartisan efforts to hammer out a permanent fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has illegal immigration advocates hopeful that a DACA amnesty deal will reach the House floor this year where “a majority of House members” want to see it passed, Rafael Bernal reports in the Hill.

From the Hill:

A group of a few dozen Republicans, led by Rep. Scott Taylor (R-Va.), is preparing a letter asking Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) for a DACA fix before year’s end, according to Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chairwoman Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.).

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Lujan Grisham said the CHC, which Democrats use to spearhead immigration efforts, is increasingly working with Republican lawmakers on finding a DACA fix. She credited the group’s whip, Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), for building those bridges.

Lujan Grisham said that Democrats would stay firm on a commitment to negotiate on government spending only when a path forward for DACA was resolved, pointing out that Republicans have enough votes to pass measures through the House.

…

Veteran lawmakers who’ve been involved in previous immigration reform attempts are holding increasingly open discussions on the matter.

After a long talk on the House floor with Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill.) said “we’re trying out to figure out how we get there.”

Read the rest here.