House GOP in disarray ahead of key immigration votes

WASHINGTON – House Republicans appeared to be in disarray Wednesday over a looming immigration debate, sparring over key details of two GOP immigration bills just hours before the competing proposals were set to hit the floor.

The fight spilled into public view Wednesday on the House floor, when North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows, chairman of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, confronted Speaker Paul Ryan during a late-afternoon vote.

Meadows could be heard telling Ryan “I’m done” during their heated exchange.

After the clash, the North Carolina Republican told reporters that one of the immigration bills – a compromise measure crafted by Ryan – was “not ready for prime time.”

He said it did not include key provisions that Ryan had promised in his negotiations with conservatives. Meadows refused to say exactly what was left out, but he said he would vote "no" on the bill as it stands.

AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The compromise bill is not ready for prime time today,” Meadows told reporters. "The talking points do not match the legislative text."

Later Wednesday evening, a spokesman for Meadows said the congressman had a "good conversation" with Ryan and they were working to resolve "a communications issue" on the compromise bill.

That compromise was supposed to bridge the divide between conservatives like Meadows and moderate Republicans who want legal protections for the "Dreamers," undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

Under Ryan's bill, an estimated 1.8 million "Dreamers" would be able to apply for “nonimmigrant status”– essentially a conditional visa – if they meet certain conditions. If the "Dreamers" win that nonimmigrant status, then after six years, they would be able to apply for a green card, which will set them on the path to eventual citizenship.

Trump threw the "Dreamers" into legal limbo when he nixed an Obama-era program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which granted them temporary legal status and work permits.

Moderates had demanded a path to citizenship for the "Dreamers," while conservatives wanted stronger enforcement measures and cuts to legal immigration. On that front, the Ryan bill would end a diversity lottery program and limit family-based immigration. The visas from those two programs would be given to the "Dreamers" until that pipeline of undocumented immigrants is empty; then those visas would dry up, eventually leading to reductions in legal immigration.

Ryan's bill also includes more than $23 billion in funding for President Trump’s proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and other security measures.  Overall, the GOP proposal adheres closely to the "four pillars" that Trump said in January he wanted as part of any immigration deal.

It is set for a House vote on Thursday, along with another immigration bill written by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and other immigration hawks. That more conservative bill would provide legal protections, but not citizenship, to about about 700,000 "Dreamers." It would also fund Trump's border wall and require employers to use the "e-verify" system to make sure their employees are legally allowed to work in the U.S.

Democrats are expected to oppose both GOP bills. The Goodlatte bill does not have enough GOP support to pass, and it's not clear if Ryan's compromise bill has the votes either.

If both bills fail, it would further spotlight the deep Republican divisions on a key election issue just five months before voters head to the polls. It would also be a blow to Ryan, who has spent weeks trying to forge a compromise between two warring GOP factions on this politically volatile issue.

Contributing: Eliza Collins

WSBTV