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Grand jury adds attempted terrorism charge against Correspondents' Dinner suspect About 32,000 immigrants face losing Medicare Feb. 1 under Republican tax-and-spending law Navy quietly fired submarine and destroyer leaders, Democrats say Congress was not told Miller memo requires White House staff to get counsel's approval before meeting lobbyists DOJ memo tells federal agencies to put English first and cut other languages On tape: Trump's Jan. 6 pardons told ICE it was beyond the law, Rep. Al Green says on the House floor Garcia calls Blanche's warning a threat; DOJ chief cites Constitution Bessent says Treasury wanted Megaspeed blacklisted, but 'Commerce has the pen' Postal Service to raise package prices Jan. 17 after $6.5 billion loss On tape: Cory Booker tells Kash Patel a federal judge vowed to toss subpoenas for reporters' phone records Grand jury adds attempted terrorism charge against Correspondents' Dinner suspect About 32,000 immigrants face losing Medicare Feb. 1 under Republican tax-and-spending law Navy quietly fired submarine and destroyer leaders, Democrats say Congress was not told Miller memo requires White House staff to get counsel's approval before meeting lobbyists DOJ memo tells federal agencies to put English first and cut other languages On tape: Trump's Jan. 6 pardons told ICE it was beyond the law, Rep. Al Green says on the House floor Garcia calls Blanche's warning a threat; DOJ chief cites Constitution Bessent says Treasury wanted Megaspeed blacklisted, but 'Commerce has the pen' Postal Service to raise package prices Jan. 17 after $6.5 billion loss On tape: Cory Booker tells Kash Patel a federal judge vowed to toss subpoenas for reporters' phone records

Immigration · Report · File No. 261112-928

Democrats seek immigration deal before January, but offer no ICE overhaul plan

Democrats in the House and Senate urged action on Dreamers and a broader bipartisan bill after voters pushed back on Trump's raids. They gave no details on changing or abolishing ICE, the agency that carries out deportations.

By the National Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (3) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

My clippings
Veronica Escobar
Veronica Escobar. Photo: U.S. House Office of Photography/House Creative Services, Public domain

A group of congressional Democrats said Wednesday that they want to start limiting the Trump administration's immigration enforcement now, without waiting for January. They gathered outside the U.S. Capitol, a little over a week after midterm elections in which Trump's crackdown fueled a voter backlash against Republicans, The Guardian reported 1.

The group included progressive and moderate Democrats from the House and Senate. Many held signs reading "legal pathways for long-term immigrants" 1.

Two bills, and a call for Republican help

The lawmakers pointed to two existing bipartisan bills. The first is the American Dream and Promise Act. It would give a path to a green card, which is permanent legal residence, to people brought to the U.S. as children, known as "Dreamers." It would also help people with temporary protections because of turmoil in their home countries 1.

The second is the Dignity Act. It pairs strict border security with some protections for undocumented people. It has 35 Democratic and 20 Republican sponsors 1.

From Channel GOPRobert Garcia vows to take on Trump family dealsCongressman Robert Garcia · 166 plays · captioned, with the source named

Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas, the Dignity Act's co-author, said she and colleagues plan to reshape the bill over the next few weeks. They will reintroduce it next session 1. She said Democrats need Republican votes because Trump is still in the White House and Democrats lack a Senate supermajority 1.

Veronica Escobar
any comprehensive immigration reform must be bipartisan
Veronica Escobar, U.S. Representative, D-Texas1

Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona said there may still be time for a deal this session. He argued that Republicans' demand for a secure border has been met 1.

Ruben Gallego
There is time still this session for a deal
Ruben Gallego, U.S. Senator, D-Arizona1

Rep. Maria Salazar, a Florida Republican and the Dignity Act's lead sponsor, was scheduled to attend but did not appear 1.

What was missing: a plan for ICE

There was no detailed talk Wednesday of how to abolish or significantly reform Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), even though it was a hot topic in the campaign 1. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas is expected to chair the House appropriations subcommittee on homeland security next year. That panel helps control funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE 1.

The Guardian reported that Cuellar has a list of guardrails to return ICE to its role before Trump's second term 1. He told Fox News Digital earlier this week that he opposes cutting ICE's funding 2.

Henry Cuellar
I don't believe in defunding ICE and I think the majority of the Democrats do not believe defunding ICE
Henry Cuellar, U.S. Representative, D-Texas2

Trump's mixed signals

Trump said after the midterms that his immigration policy had been "too tough" in certain aspects, and he floated a deal to help long-term, law-abiding undocumented immigrants. The Guardian said that contrasts with his actions. He named Stephen Miller, described by the paper as the architect of his harshest immigration policies, as chief of staff 1. Trump has also signaled he will often use his veto against Democratic-backed bills 1.

That matters because Democrats will control both chambers only after the new Congress is sworn in in January 1. Any change before then, or any law after, would need Trump's signature or enough votes to override a veto. For now, the Democrats' message is a pitch for bipartisan talks, not a plan to rewrite how ICE operates.

The Record

  1. Midterm elections, in which Trump's immigration crackdown fueled a voter backlash against Republicans 1.
  2. Rep. Henry Cuellar tells Fox News Digital he opposes defunding ICE but wants guardrails; he is expected to chair the House homeland security funding panel 2.
  3. Democrats outside the Capitol urge action on the Dream and Promise Act and a reworked Dignity Act, with no detailed ICE plan 1.
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Sources

  1. The Guardian, “Democrats push to rein in Trump on immigration after voter backlash to ICE raids” (2026-11-11). theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/11/democrats-trump-immigrat
  2. Fox News, “Border Dem poised to wield ICE purse strings rejects socialist defund push” (2026-11-09). noticias.foxnews.com/politics/border-dem-poised-wield-ice-pu

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