by Michael Mathes © Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Senate on Thursday shot down a series of immigration reform proposals including one championed by President Donald Trump, dashing hopes that Congress will soon decide on the fate of hundreds of thousands of young migrants brought to the country illegally as children. The Republican-controlled Senate had given itself until the end of the week to reach a deal on putting 1.8 million “Dreamer” immigrants […]
Tag: immigration
Trump pushes immigration plan as Senate mulls narrower path
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday was on a collision course over immigration with US senators including some within his own party, as they struggled to reach a solution protecting 1.8 million immigrants from deportation. With senators racing against a self-imposed deadline to strike a deal this week, Trump demanded the chamber rally around his proposal, which puts the “Dreamer” immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children on a pathway […]
Second US judge blocks Trump order to end ‘Dreamer’ program
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A second US judge on Tuesday blocked an order by President Donald Trump to end a program protecting from deportation migrants who had been brought illegally to the country as children. The decision comes after a federal judge in San Francisco in January ruled against repealing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. In September, Trump said he was scrapping the DACA program but delayed enforcement to […]
US Congress takes up fate of 1.8 million young immigrants
by Michael Mathes and Paul Handley Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The citizenship hopes of 1.8 million immigrants brought to the United States as children hung in the balance Monday as Congress launched debate on the hot-button issue, with President Donald Trump eager to “make a deal” on new legislation. In offering a path to citizenship for so-called Dreamers, Trump has exceeded the demands of opposition Democrats — but only in exchange […]
Lawmakers near budget deal, Trump urges shutdown for immigration
by Michael Mathes and Andrew Beatty Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US congressional leaders said Tuesday they were close to clinching an elusive budget deal that would keep government open — despite President Donald Trump calling for a shutdown if he does not get his way on immigration. The Senate’s top Republican and Democrat signaled a deal was imminent that would raise both defense and non-defense spending maximum levels for the next […]
US Congress gridlocked as budget, immigration deadlines loom
by Michael Mathes Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Bitterly divided US lawmakers return this week to face a shrinking window for reaching deals on immigration, federal spending and the debt, as Republican infighting swirls and President Donald Trump complains he is getting zero cooperation from Democrats. Trump vowed during his State of the Union address last week to “extend an open hand” to both parties in pursuing an immigration deal that shields […]
US lifts ban on refugees from 11 countries
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States announced Monday it was lifting its ban on refugees from 11 “high-risk” countries, but said those seeking to enter the US would come under much tougher scrutiny than in the past. Applicants from 11 countries, unnamed but understood to include 10 Muslim-majority nations plus North Korea, will face tougher “risk-based” assessments to be accepted. “It’s critically important that we know who is entering the United States,” said Homeland Security […]
Trump proposes US citizenship plan for 1.8 mn undocumented immigrants
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday unveiled a sweeping new immigration plan to Congress that offers 1.8 million young unauthorized immigrants known as “Dreamers” a path to citizenship over 10-12 years. Trump’s comprehensive plan — which will be formally presented next week — includes eliminating the popular “green card lottery” program and would severely restrict family immigration. It would also require Congress to budget $25 billion for a “trust […]
Trump says ‘Dreamers’ could earn citizenship in 10-12 years
by Michael Mathes Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was prepared to back a deal that would provide a pathway to citizenship to America’s so-called “Dreamer” immigrants over a period of 10 to 12 years. The latest approach by the White House suggests a key development in negotiations over some 700,000 immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children, and face deportation as early as […]
US government workers home without pay as shutdown drags on
by Michael Mathes Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Hundreds of thousands of US federal employees were forced to stay home without pay Monday after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on ending a government shutdown before the start of the work week. Although leaders of President Donald Trump’s Republican Party and the opposition Democrats said progress had been made in a weekend of talks, they pushed back a scheduled late-night Sunday […]
Immigration tensions roil US Congress as shutdown looms
by Michael Mathes Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — With barely two days before the US government runs out of money, and President Donald Trump feuding with Democrats over immigration, Republican congressional leaders scrambled Wednesday to avoid an embarrassing federal shutdown. A bipartisan deal on immigration that would shield some 700,000 people from deportation lay in tatters after the president’s reported use of vulgar language during a tense White House meeting last week […]
Macron gets tough on migrants, vowing ‘no more Jungles’
by Clare Byrne with Katy Lee in Paris Agence France-Presse CALAIS, France –President Emmanuel Macron vowed Tuesday that France would no longer allow migrant camps like the notorious “Jungle” as he defended a tougher line on immigration that has attracted sharp criticism from some of his allies. In a closely watched speech in Calais, Macron promised a more orderly immigration policy with zero tolerance for camps like the Jungle, the squalid shantytown near the northern city’s port […]
