House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters that a deal on border security likely won’t include protections for recipients of the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals program. | Andrew Harnik/AP Photo Congress House Dems say Dreamers likely won't be part of deal to avert shutdown

House Democrats aren’t expecting protections for young undocumented immigrants to be included in a border security package that will be negotiated to avert another government shutdown.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters on Tuesday that a deal likely won’t include protections for recipients of the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals program, which helps young undocumented immigrants stay in the country. Any deal also won’t address holders of Temporary Protected Status, a designation given to some migrants that shields them from deportation.


But the Maryland Democrat plans to bring both a bill protecting DACA and TPS recipients to the floor in the “near future,” he added.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), however, suggested Tuesday that Republicans would support a final agreement that included a legal fix for the tens of thousands of Dreamers who could face deportation.

“Having the House and Senate there, whatever it takes to solve the problem,” McCarthy said. “If there is a concern on common ground, why couldn’t both sides come together?”

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After President Donald Trump agreed to temporarily reopen the government last Friday, the House and Senate tapped a group of 17 bipartisan lawmakers to negotiate a border security package and avoid another shutdown.

But the focus of the talks is expected to be limited in scope, with leaders already tempering expectations that the proposal will yield a wide-ranging immigration deal that has thus far remained elusive on Capitol Hill.

Lawmakers hope to reach a compromise over funding for the Department of Homeland Security by the end of next week, to give both chambers enough time to vote on the spending measure before the next Feb. 15 deadline. The conference committee will formally meet for the first time Wednesday.

The chief sticking point in the debate is over Trump’s demand for a border wall, which Democrats have made clear they would not support. And progressive lawmakers have wide-ranging concerns over the potential spending proposal, which they worry may include money for more detention beds for undocumented immigrants, border patrol agents and other physical barriers besides a concrete wall.

Hoyer sidestepped questions about whether he would support funding for new fencing as part of the border security package, instead deferring to the conference committee.

But House Democratic Conference Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) signaled that the caucus could be open to the idea, but with caveats.

“We are willing to support fencing where it makes sense, but it should be done in an evidence-based fashion,” Jeffries said at a press conference on Tuesday.

McCarthy made clear Tuesday that Republicans would be seeking money for physical barriers, which he called a “small price to pay.” But he refused to say how many miles Republicans would demand, or if it needed to be a massive concrete structure. He also declined to say whether he would support simply replacement fencing, which have been part of past deals.

While standing beside McCarthy, one of the House GOP’s top negotiators appeared to lay out what she believed could be the framework for a deal – while leaving out mention of a physical barrier.

Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) ticked off a laundry list of potential border measures: new technology, more law enforcement workers, more immigration judges and more drug-sniffing dogs. She also called for more money to control drugs at ports of entry and more money for human trafficking victims – both key priorities of Democrats.

“All these things, experts have said we need additional money and support,” added Granger, the top House GOP appropriator, who did not take a firm stance on the wall. “As we talk about things like barriers, let’s remember there are other things that need to be funded."