(TIME) — “We cannot avoid action any longer and this is an important issue that the American people want debated on the house floor,” Texas Rep. Will Hurd said in a statement.
Republican lawmakers are trying to force House leadership to take up a series of votes on legislation to protect immigrants who were brought to the country illegally by their parents.
Since the Trump Administration announced the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, last fall Congress has failed to pass legislation that would shield this group of immigrants from deportation, which they are at risk for in the program’s absence.
But this week, a group of moderate Republican lawmakers introduced what is known as a discharge petition, which allows members to bring legislation to the floor for consideration, even if it has not moved through a committee, if the petition earns the support of 218 members.
Click to continue reading. By Maya Rhodan – May 10, 2018