Republicans have rolled 'legislation to keep families together' into an immigration vote that likely won't pass the House or Senate

(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/ABC News Politics)

published 20 June 2018

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) announced Wednesday that "tomorrow the House will vote on legislation to keep families together" in an effort to halt the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy of splitting up migrant parents from their children at the border. "The administration says it wants Congress to act and we are," Ryan said.

House Republicans, though, do not appear to have the votes on their immigration compromise bill, which includes "a path to address the family separations," CNN reports. What's more, that legislation has no realistic chance in the Senate.

Notably, there is no law mandating the separation of immigrant families at the border, and legislation is not required to stop the policy — only an order from President Trump. Senate Democrats, as a result, have been resistant to legislation targeting the "zero tolerance" policy, demanding the president address it on his own.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.