Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he is “willing to enter into a negotiations” with Democrats to address the nation’s immigration problems that have resulted in a humanitarian crisis along the southern border.
“I think it’s way past time on both sides, that we sit down together and see what we can agree to, to improve the situation,” McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters Thursday. “Not only border security, but also the asylum laws that are very challenging when you are confronted with this onslaught of people.”
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Nearly 200,000 illegal immigrant families have been apprehended by border security this year, lured by laws that guarantee they will be quickly released into the country. Republicans are eager to change those laws.
McConnell said he wants to try to work out a deal with Democrats “now,” even though the politics of the looming presidential election season often makes passing big legislative proposals impossible.
President Trump this week began cleaning house at the Department of Homeland Security, ousting Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and some deputies in a move aimed at realigning the department with the administration’s goal of de-incentivizing mass migration.
“It can’t all be solved by changing personnel,” McConnell told reporters. “Some of it requires changing the law. That means we have to deal with the Democrats. They are in the majority in the House.”
McConnell said the two parties “talk to each other,” and know where each side stands.
Democrats have called for “restoring order” along the southern border but appear in favor of accepting illegal immigrants who claim asylum.
“I’m willing to enter negotiations to see what we can do to fix the problems,” McConnell said.
