Cornyn: ‘No way’ Senate to take up DACA this month

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) shot down suggestions the Senate could take quick action on a legislative fix for undocumented immigrants brought into the country as children, saying Tuesday there is “no way” it will be taken up this month. 

“Oh no,” Cornyn said in response to a question about whether the Senate could take up legislation this month to fix the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which President Trump says he is ending.

“There’s no way. … We will take that up, I’m confident, but there’s no way it will stand alone,” he told reporters. 

{mosads}Attorney General Jeff Sessions earlier on Tuesday announced the Obama program will be wound down. The move adds another item to already packed fall congressional to-do list. 

Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said lawmakers should act by the end of September to pass the DREAM Act, a measure they have introduced that would offer legal status to individuals who received protections under DACA.

Cornyn said he was “very sympathetic” to immigrants covered by DACA, which covers people brought to the country illegally as children, but that he thought it was “appropriate” for the administration to kick the immigration fight to Congress. 

He also downplayed the chances of a “comprehensive” immigration reform bill, while floating that a DACA fix could be tied to border security. 

“Border security and enforcement. There may even be some other noncontroversial visa enforcement issues,” he said, when asked what could be looped in. 

Cornyn introduced a bill last month that would include billions for border security and immigration enforcement.