House Vote on Second Immigration Plan Possible

The House Thursday rejected a plan by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., on immigration and that prompted a delay on a vote on a second package. That delay has now moved the vote to this week after a closed-door meeting of House Republicans.Some conservatives complained that the compromise omitted a requirement that employers use the E-Verify system to check workers’ immigration status, while others lawmakers wanted reassurances on how the legislation addressed young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, often called Dreamers. A provision in the compromise bill would also end the practice of separating adults and children crossing the border by detaining them together, allocating money for family detention facilities.The compromise bill would appropriate $23.4 billion for border security, including a wall and physical barriers along the southern border, and provide six years of renewable legal status to Dreamers. It would also end the diversity-visa lottery program and cut the family-based visa program.President Trump on Friday urged Republican lawmakers to "stop wasting their time on immigration" until after November's midterm elections, which he predicted will bring enough GOP members to Washington in a "Red Wave" to allow the party to pass legislation on its own. Some lawmakers have said Trump is jeopardizing efforts to pass legislation. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., said, "Unfortunately, I think what the president was expressing is the frustration that Democrats have refused to engage in solving the problem."