Senator Lindsey Graham said yesterday that he expects Congress to make another push for a deal regarding immigration by spring or early summer at the latest. The South Carolina Republican told the ABC show This Week that a deal can and will be reached on the border wall, interior immigration enforcement and the deferred action issue.
Graham said that such a deal is vital because he believes that the courts will eventually rule that the decision to close down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program by President Donald Trump was within his authority. He said that even though another attempt could still fail, the President is willing to try again and he feels they owe it to Americans to do so.
Graham added that there was “some sense” to the President’s decision to send National Guard troops to the border between the United States and Mexico but that the underlying reasons for illegal border crossings can only be properly addressed through comprehensive immigration reform.
Graham noted that immigrants come from countries such as Guatemala and Honduras in particular due to the terrible conditions there, but he said that the problem will not be fixed unless immigration reform makes it easier for American companies to hire immigrants.
Graham admits that a border wall alone will not be enough to solve the immigration problem, and the issue of the US being an economic magnet for those from poor countries south of the nation still exists.