In this April 5, 2019, file photo, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle sits near the wall as President Donald Trump visits a new section of the border wall with Mexico in Calexico. Under pressure to show they have solutions, Democrats are honing proposals to address the surge of families entering the U.S. at the southern border, a problem they say Trump鈥檚 restrictive immigration policies are inflaming. (Photo by JACQUELYN MARTIN / AP)
WASHINGTON 鈥� Under pressure to show they have solutions, Democrats are honing proposals to address the surge of families entering the U.S. at the southern border, a problem they say President Donald Trump鈥檚 restrictive immigration policies are inflaming.
House Democrats plan to introduce legislation soon addressing the recent waves of Central American migrants reaching the border. Senate Democrats are pursuing multiple tracks, including exploring whether talks with the White House might be feasible.
The House measure, described by lawmakers, aides, and lobbyists, would stand virtually no chance of winning approval by the Republican-led Senate, let alone getting Trump鈥檚 signature. But it would let Democrats show voters they鈥檙e responsive to the rush of migrants that has overwhelmed federal officials and left border communities struggling to cope 鈥� rather than simply objecting to Trump鈥檚 moves.
The bill, which participants said is still being finalized, is expected to increase federal resources at border entry points for processing refugees, counseling children and treating people needing medical care. It would create centers in Central America where asylum applications could be processed and provide aid to reduce poverty and violence in the region so fewer people would flee.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 just wait for people to show up at the border. It鈥檚 the worst way to deal with it,鈥� said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, Democrat-California, who鈥檚 working on the legislation with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, Democrat-New York, and party leaders.
The measure represents Democrats鈥� effort to find the sweet spot between addressing a burgeoning humanitarian crisis and not lending credibility to Trump鈥檚 assertion that hordes of immigrants are invading the country. They say Trump has exacerbated the situation by aggressively detaining migrants caught entering the U.S. illegally and slowing the processing of asylum seekers, which can take months or longer.
鈥淭his is a manufactured crisis,鈥� said Rep. Ruben Gallego, Democrat-Arizona.
Trump has accused Democrats of 鈥渙bstructing.鈥� He complained Tuesday about their refusal to tighten asylum laws, restrict legal immigration by relatives of migrants already here or ban the release of detained migrants until their court dates 鈥� a practice used by recent administrations, including his own.
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 want to act,鈥� Trump said.
In the Senate, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Democrat-California, a senior member of the judiciary committee, said she plans to introduce a bill that would beef up immigration courts to reduce a huge backlog of cases and prohibit separations of migrant families. The measure would face an uphill climb.
Sen. Dick Durbin, Democrat-Illinois, said Democrats were in early discussions about what legislation to craft and were trying to arrange meetings with the White House on the issue. But he cautioned that last year鈥檚 collapse of immigration talks with Trump did not bode well.
鈥淭his president is not an easy person to work with on this subject,鈥� said Durbin, Senate Democrats鈥� No. 2 leader.
No one disputes that the number of migrants seeking entry into the U.S. is swelling. Authorities were expecting to prevent 100,000 people, mostly families, from crossing the southern border last month, the most in 12 years.
In response, Trump has moved to cut nearly $500 million in aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, whose citizens have trekked toward the U.S. in growing numbers.
He has curbed the number of asylum applications that authorities process. He has been blocked by a federal court from forcing refugees to wait in Mexico while their cases are decided. And he has warned he鈥檒l close the southwest border, a threat he鈥檚 intermittently eased and renewed.
Frustrated with his team鈥檚 resistance to carry out some of his policy proposals, he鈥檚 also replaced Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and moved to purge other top officials at the department. Democrats, joined by many Republicans, said Trump鈥檚 shake-up was unwise.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 like the law,鈥� said No. 2 House leader Steny Hoyer, Democrat-Maryland. 鈥淎nd he鈥檚 firing people who are determined that they have to act within the confines of the law. I think that鈥檚 very dangerous.鈥�
Trump says the U.S. faces a security and humanitarian calamity. In a letter to lawmakers last month, Nielsen asked for 鈥渋mmediate congressional assistance鈥� to address 鈥渁 system-wide meltdown.鈥� She requested funds for more detention beds, medical teams, and processing facilities but specified no dollar amounts.
Democrats are skeptical of such requests.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e already taken and transferred money from things to their ridiculous wall,鈥� said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Democrat-Washington, referring to Trump鈥檚 effort to build a border wall that Democrats have mocked as ineffective. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty difficult for me to say I鈥檇 give them more. I鈥檇 have a lot more accountability built in, and I鈥檇 cut the amount we鈥檙e giving to Homeland Security until they can show us they really need it.鈥�
Democrats contend that Trump鈥檚 goal is to rile up his conservative voters as his 2020 re-election campaign gets underway.
鈥淗e鈥檚 shown that over and over, he鈥檚 just anti-immigrant. And this is a campaign talking point for him,鈥� said Rep. Nanette Barragan, Democrat-California.
Republicans say Democrats are simply out to block Trump.
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 want to give Trump any victory on anything, ever,鈥� said Rep. John Katko, Republican-New York, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee.
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