"Not now, I'm headed for the border."
As The Donald headed for the border Thursday to set the GOP agenda on immigration, the House intended to do its part by
taking up legislation that would restrict federal funding for police in so-called "sanctuary cities"—cities that don't fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities. (Many city officials, especially those with diverse populations, determine that their policing practices are inhibited when undocumented immigrants fear that cooperating with local authorities will lead to their deportation.)
The vote is expected to pass Thursday, but the White House has already issued a veto threat to the legislation.
Democrats, led by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, are calling the bill the "Donald Trump Act."
"House Republicans are rushing the Donald Trump Act to the floor this week – a wildly partisan, misguided bill that second-guesses the decisions of police chiefs around the country about how to best ensure public safety," Pelosi said in a statement.
"This bill isn’t intended to solve a problem – but rather to demonize immigrants and appease the angry, anti-immigrant, Donald Trump-Steve King wing of the Republican Party."
Funny how House Republicans are suddenly jumping right on this bill even though they couldn't be bothered to take a vote on the Senate-approved immigration reform bill last session.
That's mainly because Donald Trump has been politicizing the tragic death of San Francisco resident Kathryn Steinle. An undocumented immigrant, Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, who had been deported five times and illegally reentered the U.S., has been charged with her murder.
The House GOP leadership clearly finds Trump's sound reasoning on immigrants compelling. But don't worry, Rep. Steve "cantaloupe calves" King isn't going to just sit by while The Donald steals his issue out from underneath him. King wants action on enforcement. And apparently that's been promised by Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the No. 2 House Republican.
“Kevin McCarthy expressed commitment to me to bring enforcement immigration legislation to the floor after August,” King wrote in the email.