GOP-led compromise bill is unlikely to be passed

WASHINGTON — House Republicans are set to vote Wednesday on a hard-fought immigration compromise between conservative and moderate GOP flanks, but the bill has lost any real chance for passage despite a public outcry over the crisis at the border.

Instead, lawmakers are expected to turn toward a narrow bill to prevent immigrant family separations in hopes of addressing that issue before leaving town for the Fourth of July recess.

GOP leaders set out to pass the sweeping immigration measure on their own, without Democratic input, after some members agitated for action. Now they are facing almost certain defeat, stung by their own divisions and President Donald Trump’s wavering support.

It remained unclear late Tuesday what the final version of the immigration legislation would contain. GOP negotiators had been working over the weekend on an amendment to tack on provisions to draw more support. But it was not expected to be included.

The broader bill includes trade-offs, including a multiyear path to citizenship for young immigrants who have been living in the U.S. illegally since childhood and $25 billion for Trump’s border wall. It also would stem family separations at the border by doing away with long-standing rules that prevent minors from being detained for more than 20 days; instead, children could be held in custody with their parents for longer stretches.

In a last-ditch effort to round up more support, GOP negotiators were considering an amendment requiring employers to verify legal status of employees and addressing immigrant workers in the agricultural sector. They also considered a provision to prevent parents of young immigrants from gaining citizenship.