President Donald Trump said Friday Republican lawmakers should abandon efforts to pass an immigration bill until after the November mid-term elections. He blamed Democrats for a lack of support for a pair of immigration measures in a series of tweets on the immigration crisis gripping the nation.
Trump will discuss immigration Friday at the White House with "Angel families," which have had relatives murdered by people who have illegally gained entry into the U.S.
The president's call for Congress to postpone action comes after House Republican leaders were unable in recent days to garner enough support for two bills that would overhaul U.S. immigration laws and bolster border security.
A hard-line measure authored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte failed to pass on Thursday.
The measure would not have guaranteed young undocumented immigrants a path to achieve permanent legal residency and would have included controversial enforcement measures, such as a required worker validation program.
House Republican leaders suddenly delayed a vote Thursday on a compromise measure after concluding they lacked enough support to gain passage despite the growing controversy over separating children from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The House is expected to vote next week on the compromise bill, which would provide $25 billion for Trump's border wall, create a pathway to "dreamers" and keep migrant families intact.
Trump complained again Friday that the Republicans one-seat majority in the Senate is not enough for his administration to pass major legislation in Congress.
Democrats are hopeful they will win enough seats in November to gain a majority in the House. They also hope to pick up seats in the Senate, but the prospects of gaining control of the upper chamber are not as bright.
