Democrats push to revive Obama-era aid to illegal immigrants in border talks
by Susan Ferrechio
| February 04, 2019 12:00 AM
House Democrats are pushing hard to revive an Obama-era program that would keep illegal immigrant families out of detention and instead given them housing, transportation, healthcare, and legal aid to help them claim asylum in the U.S.
President Trump ended the Family Case Management Program in June 2017, citing excessive costs and the low rate of enrolled families returning to their home countries.
House Democrats want to bring it back to life in some form as part of an effort to reduce the detention of illegal immigrants and instead release them in the United States with some supervision. And they are hoping to negotiate that change in the ongoing border security talks between the two parties.
Specifically, Democrats want $30.5 million added to the family case management budget within the Department of Homeland Security. They also hope family detentions can be phased out this year.
Democrats are hoping to secure the funding in the ongoing talks between 17 House and Senate lawmakers who are trying to hammer out a broad border security agreement by Feb. 15.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/congress/democrats-push-to-revive-obama-era-aid-to-illegal-immigrants-in-border-talks
