Republicans are barreling toward a fight over immigration despite divisions on what the party's strategy should be.



GOP lawmakers decamped Friday from a retreat in West Virginia meant to tout unity around their 2018 agenda without finding a consensus on what to do about recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.



The political cacophony comes as the Senate is expected to turn to a debate as soon as this week on the fate of the Obama-era program, which allows certain immigrants brought into the country illegally as children to work and go to school in the U.S.

“In all likelihood no, we won’t have a single unified position on that. There will be wide varieties based on where your state is. ... We won’t have a single Republican message,” Sen. James Lankford James Paul LankfordMcConnell works to lock down GOP votes for coronavirus bill Charities scramble to plug revenue holes during pandemic Warren calls for Postal Service board members to fire DeJoy or resign MORE (R-Okla.) told reporters.

A growing number of Senate Republicans are backing a scaled-back plan that would include only a DACA fix and a border security package — though the details of such an agreement would still need to be sketched out.

Sen. John Thune John Randolph ThuneThe Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Don't expect a government check anytime soon The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Trump contradicts CDC director on vaccine, masks Senate GOP eyes early exit MORE (R-S.D.), the No. 3 Senate Republican, said the idea “may be the best we can hope for.”

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito Shelley Wellons Moore CapitoSecond GOP senator to quarantine after exposure to coronavirus GOP senator to quarantine after coronavirus exposure Hillicon Valley: Zuckerberg acknowledges failure to take down Kenosha military group despite warnings | Election officials push back against concerns over mail-in voting, drop boxes MORE (R-W.Va.) also predicted that an agreement that is “much smaller than what the president is going for” is where Congress will end up.

“It’s probably going to be some sort of legal status for DACA recipients that gives them the permanence of legal status and then the border security,” Capito told MetroNews's “Talkline.”

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The scaled-back path would be a break from the “four pillars” agreed to by President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE and a bipartisan group of lawmakers, and will likely garner backlash from conservatives and the White House.

Under the deal struck during a televised meeting last month, negotiators agreed to include a fix for DACA, border security, changes to family-based immigration and the State Department’s diversity visa lottery program in any agreement.

But senators are increasingly looking for a back-up plan as talks among the No. 2s — Sens. John Cornyn John CornynAirline job cuts loom in battleground states Senate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll MORE (R-Texas) and Dick Durbin Richard (Dick) Joseph DurbinMcConnell focuses on confirming judicial nominees with COVID-19 talks stalled Senate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Top GOP senator calls for Biden to release list of possible Supreme Court picks MORE (D-Ill.) and Reps. Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthyTrump's sharp words put CDC director on hot seat House GOP leader says he trusts Trump over CDC director on vaccine timing The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Trump contradicts CDC director on vaccine, masks MORE (R-Calif.) and Steny Hoyer Steny Hamilton HoyerHouse Democrats postpone vote on marijuana decriminalization bill Democrats scramble on COVID-19 relief amid division, Trump surprise The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep MORE (D-Md.) — have failed to produce a deal.

Durbin and Hoyer both told reporters last week that they didn’t believe the talks, which routinely involve White House chief of staff John Kelly John Francis KellyMORE and Director of Legislative Affairs Marc Short, have made progress.

Asked about the role of the group, Durbin laughed.

“That's a very legitimate question,” Durbin said. “So far it has not produced an agreement on any aspect of this. ... We're running out of time.”

Staffers for the four lawmakers met again on Thursday. And members negotiating on the sidelines of the leadership-backed No. 2 talks argue that, rather than trying to force a solution on the chamber, they’re funneling their ideas through Durbin and Cornyn.

“Plan A would be whatever Durbin and Cornyn and the White House can agree on. ... But if they don’t, we want to make sure there’s a Plan B that’s narrower,” said Sen. Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioFlorida senators pushing to keep Daylight Savings Time during pandemic Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings MORE (R-Fla.), who is part of a group being led by Sen. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsThe Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally Gideon leads Collins by 12 points in Maine Senate race: poll Senate leaders quash talk of rank-and-file COVID-19 deal MORE (R-Maine).

The scaled-back plan is already being panned by some members of the caucus who characterize the White House’s framework, released late last month, as a “generous” offer and a sign of Trump’s willingness to compromise after taking a hard line during the 2016 campaign.

“Trump has made a very generous proposal to the young people who came with their parents, they were brought into the country when their parents entered the country in violation of our immigration laws,” Cornyn said.

He predicted separately that any agreement would need to address each of the “four pillars,” adding: “We really need a counterproposal by the Democrats, which we haven’t gotten yet.”

Lankford also said he’s “not interested in a skinny version on immigration.” Sen. Chuck Grassley Charles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleySenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Senators offer disaster tax relief bill Trump spikes political football with return of Big Ten season MORE (R-Iowa), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned if Democrats just want to use the DACA fight as “a campaign issue.”

The divisions among Senate Republicans come as the White House doubles down on its own framework, despite running into widespread opposition from both Democrats and some Republicans who are wary of cuts to legal immigration.

Trump touted his plan, saying it’s a “strong bill, but it’s a very fair bill.”

“If the Democrats choose to filibuster a framework that includes a generous path to citizenship or something that is not fair, we are not going to approve it,” he said.

Trump added in a tweet that Democrats “just aren’t calling” on DACA and “we have a great chance to make a deal or, blame the Dems!”

Many GOP lawmakers are wary of taking up an immigration bill unless it’s backed by Trump, given that the issue is a political lightning rod among the party’s base.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellMcConnell focuses on confirming judicial nominees with COVID-19 talks stalled McConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security Warren, Schumer introduce plan for next president to cancel ,000 in student debt MORE (R-Ky.) hasn’t tipped his hand on what legislation he could bring up as soon as this week to start the chamber’s immigration fight.

“What I said ... was if the immigration issue was not resolved inside the global discussion … I am perfectly happy provided the government is still open on Feb. 8 to go to the subject and to treat it in a fair way,” he said during a joint press conference with Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanAt indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates Peterson faces fight of his career in deep-red Minnesota district MORE (R-Wis.).

McConnell added that he would not “try to tilt the playing field in anybody’s direction and we’ll see who can get to 60 votes.”

The Senate’s 60-vote requirement, which will force the bill to be bipartisan, puts the chamber at odds with the House. There, immigration hard-liners including Rep. Steve King Steven (Steve) Arnold KingGOP leader: 'There is no place for QAnon in the Republican Party' Loomer win creates bigger problem for House GOP Win by QAnon believer creates new headaches for House GOP MORE (R-Iowa) have labeled the president’s proposal as amnesty. The framework included a path to citizenship for up 1.8 million immigrants in exchange for tens of billions for the border wall and other changes to legal immigration.

House conservatives, separately, say any narrow plan coming from the Senate is dead in their chamber, where leadership is under pressure to take up a wide-ranging bill from Rep. Bob Goodlatte Robert (Bob) William GoodlatteNo documents? Hoping for legalization? Be wary of Joe Biden Press: Trump's final presidential pardon: himself USCIS chief Cuccinelli blames Paul Ryan for immigration inaction MORE (R-Va.)

And Rep. Mark Meadows Mark Randall MeadowsTrump won't attend UN General Assembly in person, Meadows says McConnell focuses on confirming judicial nominees with COVID-19 talks stalled Overnight Health Care: Ex-Pence aide backs Biden over virus response | Trump's sharp words put CDC director on hot seat | Trump coronavirus adviser threatens to sue Stanford researchers MORE (R-N.C.), the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, is warning he could demand an agreement in order to help put up the votes to keep the government funded past Feb. 8.

“If we have a commitment on what we’re going to do on immigration, that moves things along,” he said on the sidelines of the party’s retreat, while also pointing to a demand for more defense spending.

GOP leadership has privately expressed skepticism that the Goodlatte bill has the 218 votes needed to pass. McCarthy pointed to the No. 2 talks as the group most likely to be able to get a deal to Trump’s desk.

“If something comes out of this group, it's more likely it's law,” he said, compared to “if they want something to just come out of the Senate, and then we can do something in the House and then we go to conference.”

But some Senate Republicans are pushing forward with the idea that the best way to win over the House would be to pass a bill with the support of at least 70 senators.

“I think if the Senate could pass a bill that could get somewhere around 70 votes and the president got behind it, then it would become law,” Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamThe Hill's Campaign Report: Arizona shifts towards Biden | Biden prepares for drive-in town hall | New Biden ad targets Latino voters Senate Democrats' campaign arm announces seven-figure investment to boost Graham challenger Graham: Comey to testify about FBI's Russia probe, Mueller declined invitation MORE (R-S.C.) told radio host Michael Medved.

Capito also predicted that the framework put out by the White House was a “marker” and not the end of negotiations.

“[Trump] knows that’s not going to be the bill that Mitch McConnell puts up on the floor,” she said. “It’s going to more of a consensus kind of bill, I think.”

Scott Wong contributed.