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BREAKING: Steve King Amendment Gutting DACA And Other Protections Coming Up on House Floor

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Update: King’s amendment passed 224-201.  Seven Republicans voted no, four Democrats voted yes.  More analysis on what’s next and what this means, forthcoming.


Last night, Steve King renewed his push to drive Republicans off the demographic cliff, by introducing a hateful amendment to a homeland security appropriations bill (HR 2217) that would cut off all funding for DHS to act on deferred action (DACA) and prosecutorial discretion.

The vote on the amendment is scheduled to happen imminently.

The King amendment would restrict DHS from using ANY discretion in immigration enforcement. Obviously, this would undo DACA and put all DREAMers—even those who are currently “DACAmented”—at risk of deportation. But it also targets the same people who would have been attacked under Lamar Smith’s HALT Act from last Congress: crime victims and domestic violence survivors, families of U.S. citizens (including military veterans), and others.

The amendment is a dealbreaker for the Democratic Caucus and the appropriations bill—if the amendment is adopted, Democratic ranking members may recommend a “no” vote on the entire bill.

Passing King’s amendment would also be a negative portent for immigration reform in the House this year.  As the House heads to a vote, will Republicans continue to move toward a common-sense policy on immigration reform, or will they vote with Steve King on attacking DREAMers and follow him off the cliff to demographic irrelevance?