The House of Representatives is set to vote on a bill Thursday to end federal sanctuary cities.
| AP Photo Democrats’ ‘solutions’ to Trump immigration crackdown Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is hoping to pass a bill Friday that would block the president from taking further executive actions on immigration, which includes revoking protections for immigrants brought to the U.S. as children and deporting individuals who haven’t committed serious crimes.
Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) have been pushing a bill to repeal the Trump administration’s order on immigration and restore the protections on undocumented immigrants brought into the country as children.
On Thursday, Schumer and Pelosi announced they would introduce legislation that would provide funding for “compassionate immigration enforcement” through the Justice Department.
The legislation, titled the Sanctuary Cities Act, was written by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D), the leading immigration reformer in the House.
Grijalta, who is Hispanic, said the legislation would also help combat the threat of violent crimes committed by people who entered the U-S.
illegally.
Democrats, however, are hoping to avoid a repeat of the failed immigration amnesty that the GOP-led Congress passed in 2012, when President Barack Obama issued executive orders aimed at deporting millions of undocumented immigrants.
As the Senate considers the Senate bill, the party’s top Hispanic leader said that he was optimistic the bill would pass.
“This is not an amnesty.
It’s a compassionate approach,” said Rep. Raúl Grijala (D, Ariz.).
“It doesn’t have to do with amnesty, but it has to do in a humane way.”
In his speech Thursday, Trump said the order “is a major attack on our border and our nation.”
“It is a massive overreach that will make it harder for our law enforcement and intelligence agencies to enforce our laws,” Trump said.
“It is designed to put a stop to the illegal immigration of individuals and families.”
The executive order requires the Department of Homeland Security to develop an immigration plan that would prioritize enforcement efforts in certain regions of the country.
Trump said Thursday that he will also seek to expand border security, increase penalties for employers who hire undocumented workers and impose a “global crackdown” on criminal gangs and human traffickers.
Trump has made his immigration plans a centerpiece of his presidency.
His administration has vowed to deport millions of immigrants who have entered the country illegally or are undocumented, but some legal advocates are concerned that many of those who are already in the country will still be eligible for relief under the program if the new rules are adopted.