AZ delegation reacts to Trump's delayed immigration raids: 'I won't be holding my breath'

Arizona's Capitol Hill delegation expects no bipartisan action on immigration in the coming weeks despite President Donald Trump's postponement of mass deportations to give Congress more time to find a solution to stem the flow of migrants to the U.S.

Trump, whose restriction-heavy proposals have fired up the GOP base, called off the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that were to begin on Sunday.

Republican Sen. Martha McSally, a Trump loyalist, isn't hopeful that a legislative solution will be found anytime soon. 

"I’ve been leading on this effort to close legal (immigration and asylum) loopholes and gain operational control of our Southern border — I look forward to working with my Democrat colleagues on their inputs to my legislation to solve this crisis, but I won’t be holding my breath," McSally said Monday in a written statement to The Arizona Republic.

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., who represents a conservative East Valley district, won't be, either.

"I don’t think anything is going to change with the Democrats coming to the table changing the law or something like that. I don’t see that happening," he said in an interview.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., who represents a Southern Arizona district on the border, agreed with that much.

"I don’t see this changing. Punting this decision on the raids for two weeks doesn’t mean that there’s been a change of heart or a change of policy," Grijalva said. "They will again become part of the discourse, maybe in two weeks or three weeks, but it’s a campaign strategy."

The delay represented the latest high-profile example of the Trump administration backing off a public threat.

Over the past month, the White House has threatened and pulled back from a military strike on Iran and tariffs with Mexico over unimpeded border crossings.

Most of Arizona's Hill delegation did not immediately react to news of the delayed raids, a sign they may be growing accustomed to Trump's policy whiplash.

The raids were to target 10 cities across the nation with the intention of stopping unchecked illegal immigration as the surge in migrant families arriving at the border from Central America continues. 

The threats of mass deportations provoked fear among immigrant communities across the nation and Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked Trump to call off the raids, saying families should not be separated from each other. 

"At the request of Democrats, I have delayed the Illegal Immigration Removal Process (Deportation) for two weeks to see if the Democrats and Republicans can get together and work out a solution to the Asylum and Loophole problems at the Southern Border," Trump wrote on Twitter Saturday. "If not, Deportations start!"

Grijalva said the purpose and scope of the raids were not properly fleshed out, but it’s part of an attack on Hispanics more broadly.

For "Mexican-American voters, it’s not a question of just isolating immigrants or the undocumented. It has become a communitywide assault," Grijalva said. "Everyone is being painted with the same brush by this administration."

Biggs said he thinks the delay may have more to do with leaks of ICE’s plans ahead of the raid than any expectation that Democrats will make a deal with the administration. He said the Democrats are moving ahead with spending proposals that would rein in enforcement actions, signaling their opposition to the kind of action the president wants.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:Trump delayed raids, but migrants still fearful

McSally has shown what type of policy changes she favors. She is a co-sponsor on legislation introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., that calls for the hiring of more immigration judges, for migrant families to be detained together for a longer period of time, and for asylum applications from certain countries to be filed in Mexico — not the U.S. Under the legislation, unaccompanied minors from Central America would be sent back to their countries of origin.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat, said in a written statement to The Republic she will continue to work across the aisle "to strengthen border security, stop the flow of migrants to our southern border, and ensure fair and humane treatment of migrants who do come.”

As a senator, Sinema has advocated for heightened border security, bolstered border staffing and resources for the communities and groups impacted by the volume of migrants coming to the U.S.

On Sunday, Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. hinted in a tweet aimed at Vice President Mike Pence that any bipartisan deal on the issue seems unlikely. Fact-checkers have noted that most migrants show up for court proceedings.

"It is difficult to cut a deal with the Trump administration when @VP is lying about the refugee situation. Claiming that 90% don’t show up for their hearing is false."

U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., suggested Democrats have been denying reality as well.

"I am glad to see that after repeatedly saying the crisis at border is ‘manufactured’ that my Democrat colleagues are finally acknowledging that there is a crisis at the border. Although Democrats have refused Republican motions to fund the humanitarian crisis 17 times now, I am hopeful that the Senate and House will reach a consensus on the president’s request for supplemental humanitarian aid," she said in a statement. "I will be introducing legislation shortly—that I hope my colleagues will join me by cosponsoring — which will address the root cause of this immigration problem."

While the raids were delayed, Biggs predicted they will go forward at some point and are targeted at people who already have deportation orders from immigration judges.

Have news to share about Arizona's U.S. senators or national politics? Reach the reporter on Twitter and Facebook. Contact her at yvonne.wingett@arizonarepublic.com and 602-444-4712.

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