On Wednesday, Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, attempted to prevent revolts within the Republican Party as lawmakers argued over legislation that would prevent young undocumented immigrants who came to the US as minors, known as ‘Dreamers’, from deportation.
Ryan used a morning news conference to tell a small number of moderate Republicans, who are trying to use a procedural manoeuver to force the House of Representatives to vote on four different immigration bills, that it would be a ‘big mistake’ to do so. He warned that the passing of a bipartisan immigration bill could anger conservative Republicans at an unfortunate time, given the approach of the November midterm elections.
At a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, Kevin McCarthy, the House Majority Leader, told his fellow Republicans that things are currently going well for the party and that there was no need to create problems for themselves, according to one anonymous Republican House member. Ryan says he is currently collaborating with the White House on a measure that would be able to win the support of President Donald Trump but provided no further details or any sign of when any such legislation might be advanced.
20 out of the 235 Republicans in the House of Representatives have signed the petition to try to force a debate on immigration. President Donald Trump announced the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in September 2012.