Democratic lawmakers have called for a bipartisan immigration deal, seeking changes to President Donald Trump’s enforcement policies and legal status for long-settled immigrants.
asserted
lawmakers → call → immigrants
The appeal came as Democratic officials in several states and cities moved to limit their agencies’ role in federal immigration operations.
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officials → come → operations
Members of the House and Senate, including lawmakers elected last week, held a news conference outside the US Capitol.
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Members → include → Capitol
The group included progressive and centrist Democrats who said the election results offered an opportunity to revisit an approach that had become politically costly for Republicans.
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that → include → Republicans
Representative Veronica Escobar, whose Texas district includes the border city of El Paso, said she wanted far-reaching reform but recognised that legislation could not pass without Republican support.
“
uncertain
legislation → include → support
As we continue to have Donald Trump in the White House, and without a supermajority in the Senate, we need Republican support,” she said, adding that comprehensive reform would therefore have to be bipartisan.
asserted
reform → continue → support
Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona urged both parties to pursue an agreement before the current congressional session ends, or continue negotiations in the next one.
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session → urge → one
Republicans had long made immigration reform conditional on securing the border, he said.
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he → make → border
“We have that right now.
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We → have → that
We did the job.
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We → do → job
Now let’s figure out how to right-size our immigration issue.
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’s → let → issue
Let’s figure out how to keep families together.”
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’s → figure → families
Representative Sylvia Garcia of Texas proposed starting with the Dream and Promise Act, saying it could provide a basis for broader changes after Democrats assume control of Congress in January.
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Democrats → propose → January
The lawmakers’ appeal for federal legislation coincided with efforts by Democratic state and local administrations to narrow the role of their police and detention agencies in enforcing federal civil immigration rules.
asserted
appeal → coincide → rules
In Houston, Mayor John Whitmire has also issued an order barring city police from contacting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) about administrative immigration warrants during routine traffic stops and minor, nonviolent violations.
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Whitmire → issue → stops
Police may still contact ICE when a person is being booked into jail for a new offence carrying possible jail time and also has an administrative immigration warrant.
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person → contact → warrant
The order also removes earlier provisions requiring officers to wait for extended periods for ICE agents to attend traffic stops or detention scenes.
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agents → remove → stops
Whitmire said he had consulted Texas’s newly elected governor, lieutenant governor and comptroller before acting.
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he → say → governor
He described the move as an attempt to ease anxiety in immigrant communities and said he hoped other cities in the state would follow.
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cities → describe → state
“This is the right thing to do at the right time,” he said.
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he → do → time
“I do this to begin a healing process.”
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I → do → process
Whitmire opposed a 2017 Texas law prohibiting sanctuary-city policies when he was a state senator.
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he → oppose → policies
Houston’s move follows major Democratic gains in the state: Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott, while James Talarico won a Senate seat.
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Talarico → follow → seat
Abbott had earlier threatened to hold back more than $110 million in public safety grants from Houston over its limits on cooperation with ICE.
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Abbott → threaten → ICE
Austin and San Antonio are also reviewing their arrangements with federal immigration authorities.
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Austin → review → authorities
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has ordered state law-enforcement agencies to end their agreements with ICE under the 287(g) programme, which authorises participating local and state officers to carry out specified immigration enforcement duties.
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officers → order → duties
Maryland Governor Wes Moore has signed legislation ending formal 287(g) partnerships between ICE and state or local law-enforcement agencies.
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Moore → sign → ICE
The change requires nine sheriffs’ offices to withdraw from their agreements.
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change → require → agreements
In New York, legislation signed by Governor Kathy Hochul requires existing arrangements involving local detention facilities and federal civil immigration detention to end by November 25.
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arrangements → sign → November
California, meanwhile, continues to apply its California Values Act, which restricts the use of local police resources for federal civil immigration enforcement.
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which → continue → enforcement
In January, Democrats are expected to use their new congressional committee leadership to scrutinise the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, investigate enforcement practices and detention conditions, and seek testimony and records.
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which → expect → testimony
But a Democratic majority will not by itself enable lawmakers to undo the president’s central immigration policies.
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majority → enable → policies
Trump can veto legislation, while Senate rules will make it difficult to pass major measures without broader support.
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it → veto → support
Trump conceded after the Republican losses that his administration had been “too tough” on immigration in some respects.
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administration → concede → respects
Yet his appointment of Stephen Miller, a leading architect of the crackdown, to a senior White House post points to continued resistance to a substantial change in direction.
asserted
appointment → lead → direction
Vice President JD Vance, seen as a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2028, has suggested that enforcement tactics could be adjusted, including through a greater focus on businesses that hire undocumented workers.
uncertain
that → see → workers
His comments indicate that debate over how the administration applies its immigration policy may continue, even as Trump retains its central objectives.
uncertain
Trump → indicate → objectives
The Aporia
