Dems crafting border proposal with focus on processing, counseling: report

Democrats are crafting legislation to address the surge of families entering the U.S. at the southern border, a problem they say has been exacerbated by President Trump’s immigration policies, according to an Associated Press report.

The legislation, which has not been completed, will likely call to increase resources at the border to help with people who need medical attention, children’s counseling and refugee processing, according to the AP.

{mosads}It would also create facilities in Central America to process American asylum applications and give humanitarian aid. 

“You don’t just wait for people to show up at the border. It’s the worst way to deal with it,” Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) who is helping to work on the legislation, told the wire service. 

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is also reportedly working on a bill to increase immigration courts’ ability to deal with a heavier workload and make it illegal to separate immigrant families.

Any legislation introduced would face an uphill battle in the Republican-led Senate, but Democrats are hoping it will show voters they are trying to address the immigration issue, the AP reports.

The Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), told the AP that Democrats are trying to meet with the White House on the issue, but pointed to failed immigration talks with Trump last year as a sign of difficulty in negotiations.

“This president is not an easy person to work with on this subject,” Durbin told the AP.

The number of people apprehended at the border surged in March, according to new figures released by Customs and Border Protection. The agency’s commissioner previously said the immigration system at the border had reached a “breaking point.”