• Call for legal status for long-settled immigrants; plan congressional scrutiny of Homeland Security
• Democratic states move to curb local agencies’ role in federal immigration efforts
WASHINGTON: Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday called for a bipartisan immigration deal, seeking changes to President Donald Trump’s enforcement policies and legal status for long-settled immigrants.
The appeal came as Democratic officials in several states and cities moved to limit their agencies’ role in federal immigration operations.
Members of the House and Senate, including lawmakers elected last week, held a news conference outside the US Capitol. The group said election results offered an opportunity to revisit an approach deemed politically costly for Republicans.
Representative Veronica Escobar, whose Texas district includes the border city of El Paso, said she wanted far-reaching reform but recognised legislation cannot pass without Republican support.
“As we continue to have Donald Trump in the White House, and without a supermajority in the Senate, we need Republican support,” she said, adding that comprehensive reform would therefore have to be bipartisan.
Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona urged both parties to pursue an agreement before the congressional session ends, or continue negotiations in the next.
Republicans long made immigration reform conditional on securing the border.
“We have that right now. We did the job,” Gallego said. “Now let’s figure out how to right-size our immigration issue. Let’s figure out how to keep families together.”
Representative Sylvia Garcia of Texas proposed starting with the Dream and Promise Act to provide a basis for broader changes when Democrats take control of Congress in January.
Concurrently, state and local Democratic administrations moved to limit the role of their police and detention agencies in enforcing federal civil immigration rules.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire issued an order barring police from contacting US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding administrative immigration warrants during routine traffic stops and minor, nonviolent violations.
Police may still contact ICE when a person booked into jail for a new offence carrying possible jail time also has an administrative warrant. The order removes provisions requiring officers to wait for extended periods for ICE agents to attend traffic stops or detention scenes.
Whitmire consulted Texas’s newly elected governor, lieutenant governor and comptroller before acting, describing the move as an attempt to ease immigrant communities’ anxiety.
Whitmire opposed a 2017 Texas law prohibiting sanctuary-city policies when he was a state senator. The move follows major Democratic statewide gains: Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott, and James Talarico won a Senate seat.
Abbott earlier threatened to withhold over $110 million in safety grants from Houston over its limits on ICE cooperation. Austin and San Antonio are also reviewing their federal arrangements.
Similar changes are occurring elsewhere. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger ordered state law enforcement agencies to end 287(g) agreements with ICE, which authorise participating local officers to carry out specified immigration duties.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed legislation ending formal 287(g) partnerships between ICE and local agencies. In New York, a law signed by Governor Kathy Hochul requires local detention facilities’ arrangements with federal immigration detention to end by Nov 25 .
California continues applying its Values Act, restricting police resources for federal immigration enforcement.
In January, Democrats plan to use congressional committee leadership to scrutinise the Department of Homeland Security, investigate enforcement practices and seek records.
However, a majority alone cannot undo the president’s policies. Trump can veto legislation, and Senate rules make passing major measures difficult without broader support.
Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2026
