WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Trump huddled with House Republicans on Capitol Hill as lawmakers continue to search for a way to end the administration’s policy of separating families who illegally cross the U.S. Mexico border.

  • Trump meets w/ GOP lawmakers to discuss immigration
  • Leaders want to end policy of separating families at border

With votes scheduled on two pieces of legislation this week in the House, does any have enough support to pass?

“It was a good meeting,” said Rep. Jeff Denham (R) California.

GOP lawmakers were feeling upbeat after meeting with President Trump on Capitol Hill as haunting images of crying children separated from their parents at the U.S./Mexico border is sparking outrage among lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

 “I would definitely be for stopping the separation of families and not using the children as a bargaining power to get the kind of immigration form we need,” said Rep. Francis Rooney (R) Florida.

“The Republican leadership has been working on these other bills for a while. We see the crisis right now as what’s being happening to these families being separated,” said Rep. Val Demings (D) Florida.

President Trump met with House Republicans and essentially told them he would back the GOP compromise bill crafted by leadership and moderates, clearing up a lot of confusion that he caused from last Friday when he said he wouldn’t sign it.

 
Now both the more conservative bill and the compromise bill head to the floor for a vote later this week, but it’s unclear if either one have the votes to pass.

"We need first for them to totally change this policy of separating families. We need a pathway to citizenship for dreamers, and we need border security but no wall. We are prepared to deal on those points,” said Rep. Darren Soto (D) Florida.

Still, most Democrats are not on board with the compromise bill, which is one of two House bills on the table that funds the border wall, gives DACA recipients a path to citizenship and includes language that would keep families together.

 

 

“We added that over the weekend to this bill. I offered the amendment to keep families together but also to have $7 billion for new housing for these family units,” Denham said.

According to lawmakers, that’s something the President supports.

“He was very focused on making sure there’s a fix so we are not separating families. We added that over the weekend to this bill,” Denham said.