US House of Representatives rejects Republican compromise immigration bill on family separation issue
ADVERTISEMENTThe US House of Represenatives has rejected a compromise immigration bill defeating the Republicans in a 301-121 vote.
It was an expected defeat but it hurt nonetheless - Republicans had hoped to pass the compromise immigration bill which would have gone some way in addressing the separation of families crisis at the US Mexico border.
"What we witnessed today was a minority of Republicans joining every Democrat in the House to double down on a failed, broken, inefficient, unfair and at times, cruel immigration system," complained Rep. Carlos Curbelo.
Democrats say the bill was too wide and merely designed to unite a split Republican party. They want a narrower bill that will focus specifically on the family separation issue.
President Trump wants Congress to resolve the problem in the face of the uproar over the separation of more than 2,000 children from their parents as a result of his policy of "zero tolerance" toward illegal immigration.
" I told them a few hours ago I said look pass something or come back with something that will be a derivation but get something you want," said President Donald Trump.
The defeated Trump-supported bill would have allowed children to remain with their parents in detention. But community groups say it is not enough, demanding Trump's administration stop caging and prosecuting immigrants.