The House of Representatives blocks the Deferred Action for Immigrants plan

The House of Representatives blocks the Deferred Action for Immigrants plan. ABC Network said that the House of Representatives recently passed an amendment to the Homeland Security spending bill to delete President Obama’s...

The House of Representatives blocked the Deferred Action for Immigrants plan. ABC Network said that the House of Representatives recently passed an amendment to the Homeland Security spending bill to delete President Obama’s Deferred Action for Young Illegal Immigrants (DACA) funding. The plan delays the deportation of illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children and allows them to stay in the United States and work legally. Nearly all Republican House members support adding an amendment to the homeland security spending bill to remove funding for the DACA program. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and two other members of the House’s “Gang of Eight” on immigration reform voted in favor. Cecilia Muñoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, said at a Hispanic media press conference: "I think this sends an interesting signal to the Latin American community. This vote will basically wipe out the benefits of the beneficiaries of the 'Dream Act.'" However, this vote has only symbolic meaning. It is highly unlikely that the Democratic-controlled Senate would support a bill with such an amendment; even if it did, Obama would not sign it. On June 10, the Senate will begin debate on the immigration reform bill. The House vote shows that giving illegal immigrants a chance to become U.S. citizens is not a top priority for House Republicans. New York State Representative Steve King, who initiated the defunding of the DACA program, holds this view. He has called the Senate immigration reform bill "amnesty" for illegal immigrants and has been trying to defeat it. King said in a statement: "My amendment blocks many of the corresponding provisions in the Senate Gang of Eight bill. If this position is maintained, what the president signs will not be an amnesty." The largest activist network of young illegal immigrants in the United States immediately issued a sharp response. Hemenez said in a statement: "This is outrageous and the opposite of what our country expects from its political leaders. Is House Speaker John Boehner going to follow King's lead and completely turn the Republican Party into an extreme party that is out of touch with the masses and will forever marginalize immigrants and the Hispanic community?" However, the Republican Party is not completely alone on this amendment. Three Democrats also voted for the amendment. They are Georgia's John Barrow, Virginia's Nick Rahall and North Carolina's Mike McIntyre.