Rep. McCarthy: Dems Won't Do Anything About Immigration Crisis

Republicans have been working hard on an immigration bill that can solve the crisis at the nation's southern border, but Democrats will not be helping with the problem, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Monday.

"The Republicans have been working on it, but the Democrats won't do anything to try to solve the border crisis," the California Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom."

"We know we do not have a secure border. We know our current process just perpetuates the problem with catch and release."

Work has been going on for some time, McCarthy added, as "we know the border isn't secure and immigration is broken. [President Donald Trump] has been working to solve this problem. We have to build a wall, end catch and release, we have to go to a merit system as we move forward and we dealt with the DACA situation. Not one Democrat would vote with us. Not one Democrat would work towards it. They want to stop this problem instead of solving it."

McCarthy said he is optimistic a bill can be passed this week. 

"If you look at the bill we currently have proposed, it is tougher on the border," McCarthy said. "You can't move forward with anything with DACA unless the money for the wall is there. This is one that actually protects the border stronger, gives it stronger security . . . If someone crosses the border illegally and they're from Mexico we remove them back. If they are from any other country, they stay here. That's a broken system."

Democrats, though, "don't want any security along there," McCarthy said. "We have found this time and again with catch and release."

The matter of separating children from parents also has to be fixed, he said.

"The president did in the executive order," McCarthy said. "He was right. He went back to the courts and said you have to overturn the Flores amendment. You are tying his hands on how to be able to keep these children together. So, we need to pass that, and that's part of this bill as well. It solves that problem."

The immigration bill coming up will put money toward the border wall and will tie all immigration proposals going forward to wall financing. 

"It has to be built, it has to be built," McCarthy said. "It will end catch and release. It will go to a merit-based system for immigration and it will deal with the DACA situation. That is exactly what the American people have asked for and exactly what the president promised."

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