Tuesday Immigration Bulletin: DACA Fix

Good evening! Another late bulletin tonight after a long day of news gathering, so let's get right to it —

There were rumors abound on Capitol Hill today as a universe of immigrant rights advocates pitched lawmakers on a wide range of relief proposals. 

Punchbowl broke the news this morning that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) told his caucus that they would push for a DACA fix in the lame duck. 

So, I spent the better part of the early afternoon asking relevant House Democrats if they had any info about this supposed fix.  

"Not yet," Rep. Adriano Espaillat told me, in Spanish. "I'd like it to be a registry fix that resolves the issue for those with DACA and their parents."

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) confirmed to Roll Call reporter Lindsey McPherson that his staff is working on a DACA fix, which he described as "basically the same" as the Dream & Promise Act that passed the House last year.

Yesterday, I asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer if the Dream & Promise Act would get a vote in the Senate during the lame duck. Schumer wouldn't say. 

I followed up with the Senate Majority Leader again tonight, asking more broadly if any immigrant relief was moving forward in the upper chamber of Congress.

Schumer essentially told me my question was premature. "We have to see what our colleagues want to do on the other side of the aisle," he said.

Keep in mind: There is almost certainly not enough time left in this Congress for Democratic majority to cut some mythic enforcement-for-relief deal with Republicans. 

The legislative calendar in the 117th Congress is growing desperately short ... and there are still two major "must pass" bills that the Senate is working on: 

• National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
• Appropriations/Government Funding Bill (Omnibus)

Of course, immigrant relief proposals could be attached to either of these massive spending bills, but whether they will be remains to be seen. 

For all their political saber-rattling about the border, Congressional Republicans never really articulated a coherent immigration enforcement policy position as a party ... so at this point it's hard to say what GOP lawmakers want in exchange for relief proposals. 

Now that the midterm election is (almost) over, there is a lingering suspicion among some GOP lawmakers that raging xenophobia wasn't the winning election message they'd hoped it would be — an important topic for a future bulletin.

Regardless, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) told me this afternoon there would be an update on the "DACA fix" rumors at a press conference tomorrow.

Senate Democrats Dick Durbin (IL), Bob Menendez (NJ), Alex Padilla (CA), and Cortez Masto are scheduled to speak on "immigration/DACA" at 11am ET. 

Oddly, House Democrats have scheduled a competing immigration press conference to talk about the Farm Workforce Modernization Act on the other side of the Capitol parking lot at literally the exact same time.

As always, I'll be there to bring you the latest. More to follow ...