Migrant children: Immigration bill teeters on the edge of collapse
(about 7 hours later)
The US political battle over migrant children separated from parents has shifted to Congress, after Donald Trump signed an order to halt the policy.
A Republican effort to pass an immigration law appears doomed to fail amid a political battle over migrant children separated from their parents.
The House of Representatives will vote on broader immigration bills that would fund President Trump's proposed border wall and reduce legal migration.
A compromise bill drafted by moderate and conservative Republicans lacks any Democratic votes, and is also lacking support from some Republican lawmakers.
But Democrats oppose the measures and it is uncertain they will pass.
A vote on the bill, which would fund a border wall while reducing legal migration, has been delayed to Friday.
Mr Trump reversed his policy after an outcry at home and globally over the policy.
President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for the impasse.
The Republican president's executive order calls for the families to be detained together while their cases are considered.
"They don't care about the children, they don't care about anything," Mr Trump said at a White House cabinet meeting on Thursday.
More on child migrant separation crisis
He pledged to sign an immigration reform bill if Congress can pass it.
But the fate of families already separated by the policy is not clear.
"The lawmakers have to sit down and they have to do something because our country cannot continue to run like this," Mr Trump said.
The congressional deadlock comes a day after Mr Trump moved to roll back his policy of migrant family separations amid outcry over the "zero tolerance" policy.
The Republican president issued an executive order calling for the children to be detained with their parents while their cases are considered.
But the fate of families already separated by the policy is unclear.
At least 2,300 children have been taken from more than 2,200 parents since 5 May, according to US immigration officials.
At least 2,300 children have been taken from more than 2,200 parents since 5 May, according to US immigration officials.
What is in the legislation?
What is in the legislation?
Mr Trump has previously said it was up to Congress to resolve the issue, in combination with tougher immigration regulations.
One of the House bills is a compromise between conservatives and moderates. It includes funding for a border wall, along with a pathway to citizenship for the Dreamers - immigrants who illegally entered the US as children.
One of the House bills is a compromise between conservatives and moderates. It includes funding for a border wall, along with a pathway to citizenship for the Dreamers - immigrants brought illegally into the US as children.
On Thursday, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan refused to concede defeat, but admitted: "I think we're advancing the cause even if something doesn't pass."
"This is a bill that has consensus. This is a bill that the president supports. It's a bill that could become law," said House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, quoted by the Associated Press.
The Republican leader called the vote "a legitimate exercise", due to his party's control of both congressional chambers and the White House.
The second, more conservative bill excludes the Dreamers clause.
More on child migrant separation crisis
With no Democratic support for the measures, White House officials have been seeking to drum up support among Republicans, many of whom are wavering or openly opposed.
The House has rejected a second, more conservative bill that excluded the Dreamers clause.
With no Democratic backing for the measures, White House officials and the congressional Republican leadership committee have been seeking to drum up support among lawmakers, many of whom are wavering or openly opposed.
In a rare outburst on the House floor Conservative Republican congressman Mark Meadows slammed the compromise bill as "not ready for primetime".
The Freedom Caucus chairman was reportedly furious with Mr Ryan for leaving out two provisions from the bill, but the two Republicans later said their absence had been the result of a misunderstanding.
Meanwhile, the Senate is working on a narrower compromise bill focusing on the family separations.
Meanwhile, the Senate is working on a narrower compromise bill focusing on the family separations.
What about Mr Trump's order?
Republicans hold a narrower majority in the upper chamber, leading Mr Trump question on Thursday "what is the purpose" of the House voting on "good immigration bills", if they will be struck down by the Senate.
The president signed his executive order on Wednesday evening.
More on immigration
"I did not like the sight of families being separated," he said, adding that the administration would continue its "zero tolerance policy" of criminally prosecuting anyone who crosses the border illegally.
He said he had been swayed by images of children who have been taken from parents jailed and prosecuted for illegal border-crossing.
The executive order calls for:
Vice-President Mike Pence and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who has emerged as the face of the White House policy, were both present.
Ms Nielsen was confronted by protesters at a Mexican restaurant in Washington on Wednesday evening.
Why the uproar?
In April, the US attorney general announced the policy to criminally charge and jail undocumented border crossers.
As children cannot legally be jailed with their parents, they have been kept in separate facilities.
After initial detention, they were sent to about 100 detention centres in 17 states, most but not all in areas close to the Mexican border.
Three "tender age shelters", all in southern Texas, were set up for babies and toddlers, as well as a tent camp.
Pictures of dozens of children sleeping in fenced enclosures and audio of them crying emerged in recent days, provoking the widespread criticism.
Under previous US administrations, immigrants caught crossing the border for the first time tended to be issued with court summonses and released.
Six US airlines have told the Trump administration not to use their aircraft to transport child migrants separated from their parents.
Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest and United all said the policy contravened their values.
On Wednesday New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was "shocked" that 239 migrant children had been sent to a single reception centre in Harlem without the knowledge of the city authorities.
Apparently, more children were still on their way to the city. The American Civil Liberties Union, an NGO, tweeted footage of people greeting children arriving at LaGuardia airport.
What happens now?
Mr Trump's order says that families could remain together in detention instead of separating children from parents illegally crossing into the country.
But immigrant children are only allowed to be held for 20 days, according to a 21-year-old landmark court decision known as the Flores agreement.
The order also calls for the justice department to request to modify the Flores agreement to allow children to be held longer, but it is unclear what will happen if the law does not change.
The Trump administration is likely to become tangled in legal battles with immigration activists on behalf of detained migrants if it is unable to overturn the Flores agreement before the 20-day deadline.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar has said his department would begin working to return detained immigrant children to their families, but did not give a timeline.
A top HHS official told Agence France-Presse on Tuesday they had no system in place to do so.
