The White House on Monday sent a counteroffer to Democrats’ 10-point list of immigration enforcement demands, as the two parties negotiate a Department of Homeland Security spending bill.
Stopgap funding for DHS expires Friday. Republicans want to pass a short-term extension while negotiations continue.
A White House official confirmed to The Washington Times that the counterproposal was sent to Democrats but declined to provide details.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, South Dakota Republican, said Democrats’ reaction to the counteroffer will determine what comes next.
Republicans’ proposals include “changes aimed at protecting law enforcement officers who are increasingly under threat from an organized and well-funded campaign to undermine immigration enforcement efforts” and ensuring local law enforcement cooperate with federal immigration authorities, he said.
The White House offer also identifies areas of potential common ground, Mr. Thune said, suggesting there could be “a pathway to success.”
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Mr. Thune said he will introduce a bill, likely on Tuesday, to extend the DHS stopgap funding for “at least another couple of weeks” to provide enough time to reach a deal and pass it through both chambers.
Current stopgap DHS funding runs out Friday, a date Democrats pushed for two weeks ago in hopes of a quick negotiation and resolution. Extending the deadline another couple of weeks would line up with the initial four- to six-week timeframe Republicans said would be needed.
Most House Democrats are unwilling to support even a DHS stopgap without their demands being met.
“Our position has been clear: Dramatic changes are needed at the Department of Homeland Security before a DHS funding bill moves forward,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York Democrat.
Several Senate Democrats would probably oppose a stopgap as well, but if Republicans are united, they will need only seven Democrats to help pass it — although unanimous consent of all 100 senators would be needed to set up a quick vote without procedural hurdles.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York said Democrats sent legislative text to Republicans on Saturday that fleshed out the details of their 10-point list of immigration enforcement demands.
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The Democrats’ proposals include requiring ICE to implement a code of conduct with limitations on use of force, barring federal agents from entering homes without a judicial warrant and making agents de-mask and wear identification.
“Our proposed language is based on language currently in effect in the state of Florida,” Mr. Schumer said. “If it’s good enough for Florida, it should be good enough for Congress.”
Mr. Thune said some of Democrats’ proposals are “positive starting points for further discussion,” but ones that place unnecessary restrictions on law enforcement are “nonstarters.”
He did not specify which proposals fell into that category, but it likely includes Democrats’ demand to bar all arrests near “sensitive” locations such as clinics, churches, courts, day cares and schools.
“Republicans should ask people back home if they think it’s okay for ICE to tail school buses or have ICE ‘surround the polls,’ like Steve Bannon and others say,” Mr. Schumer said. “Most would say this has nothing to do with going after criminals.”
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.
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