Congressman Darrell Issa is putting forth a plan to fix the long-debated "DACA" legislation that has left the future of thousands of "Dreamers" in limbo.
Issa (R-Vista, Calif.) introduced the DACA Compromise Act Thursday as a fix to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The bill would make visas available to DACA participants who have been vetted by the Department of Homeland Security.
To do so, a limited number of slots from existing visa categories would be reallocated to DACA participants on a rolling basis until the DACA queue is cleared, according to Issa.
RELATED: White House proposes path to citizenship for 1.8 million people
"Problems like these require innovative thinking and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle coming together, putting all of their ideas on the table, and figuring out the best way to get the job done," Issa said in a release. "This is a simple, common-sense fix that will guarantee certainty for the children of illegal immigrants who were brought here through no fault of their own and know no home other than the United States. I hope this straight-forward proposal can serve as a reasonable compromise that will bring our parties together, give lasting assurance, and resolve this issue for the long-haul."
Issa said the bill is modeled after the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act of 1997, which established a path to citizenship for certain Nicaraguan, Cuban, Salvadoran, and Guatemalan refugees.
Thursday, the White House announced a plan to offer a path to citizenship for not only DACA participants, but the broader undocumented immigrant population.
President Donald Trump is requesting $25 billion be put toward his long-promised border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as security measures, in exchange for the plan for illegal immigrants.
It's not yet clear how the White House's announced plan could affect Issa's plan.
