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Stefanik will back House deal on immigration

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, speaks during a "Coffee with your Congresswoman" event on April 5 at the Moreau Community Center in South Glens Falls. (Photo — Kathleen Phalen-Tomaselli, The Post-Star)

As the White House struggles to provide a cohesive message about its “zero tolerance” policy of detaining and charging all migrants who cross the border illegally, separating them from their children at the southern border, the U.S. House of Representatives prepares to vote on two immigration bills.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, will support the compromise immigration bill that the House leadership is finalizing.

“Congresswoman Stefanik intends to support the compromise immigration legislation that was released late last week, though she is still working with her colleagues on final details,” wrote Stefanik spokesman Tom Flanagin in a lengthy statement to the Times.

“She is pleased that it would protect the DACA eligible population, prevent family separation at our border, and provide funding for border security. She would also support standalone legislation to address family separation at our border.”

The other bill that will be considered this week was introduced by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, a Republican from Virginia, and is expected to fail, according to reporting in the New York Times.

The bill intends to end the practice of “chain migration” and limit how many members of a family can come to the country. It would also end the diversity visa program, which granted a certain number of visas to people from certain countries with few immigrants to the United States, increase the number of green cards available for skilled workers, create a new guest worker program for farmers and ranchers, and withhold federal grants from sanctuary cities that are not complying with immigration law.

The statement from Flanagin mostly reiterated positions Stefanik has taken previously, including her early support of a discharge petition.

The discharge petition needed 218 signatures, at which point it would have forced a debate and vote on four immigration bills. The one that received the most votes would have gone on to the Senate.

The petition needed 25 Republican signatures and received 23 before Speaker of the House Paul Ryan made a deal to bring the compromise bill and the Goodlatte bill to a vote. The other three bills under consideration, including the bipartisan Hurd-Aguilar Bill, which Stefanik co-sponsored, will not be voted on.

“Congresswoman Stefanik led the charge in the House to fix our broken immigration system by signing the discharge petition that is forcing Congress to finally act on immigration,” Flanagin wrote. “She is currently involved in discussions with Leadership to move the process forward on compromise legislation to address DACA, border security and that would include a provision to stop children from being separated from their parents.”

Flanagin also repeated Stefanik’s opposition to separating minors, although without criticizing President Donald Trump, whose executive branch had implemented the zero-tolerance policy.

“Congresswoman Stefanik believes the situation of separated minors is an appalling result of our country’s broken immigration system,” Flanagin wrote. “Our broken immigration system is the fault of both parties and that’s why Congresswoman Stefanik is leading the way and crossing party lines to force the issue.”

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