WASHINGTON — Congressman Mike Coffman is preparing a longshot legislative maneuver to protect young immigrants who were brought illegally to the U.S. as children — an effort that comes as President Donald Trump is weighing a decision on their fate.
The Aurora Republican said he wants to force action on a bill he introduced in January that would halt for three years the deportation of any immigrant enrolled in an Obama-era program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.
DACA recipients already are shielded from deportation and can get temporary permits to work legally in the U.S. But Trump, who campaigned on an anti-immigration platform, could cancel the program in the coming days, a deadline spurred by pressure from 10 state attorneys general.
If Trump nixes DACA, it would expose about 800,000 beneficiaries to removal — as all of them provided a wealth of personal information to the federal government. About 17,000 DACA recipients are thought to live in Colorado.
Coffman said his bill, co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, would suspend DACA deportations while giving Congress time to address their situation through legislation — an important consideration given that many Republicans criticized former President Barack Obama for enacting the program without approval from the U.S. House and Senate.
“It gives Congress three years to come up with a permanent solution for these young people,” Coffman said in a phone interview.
To do that, Coffman is trying a rarely successful procedure known as a discharge petition, which requires the signed support of a majority of U.S. House members.
Typically, this tactic is employed by lawmakers in the party that isn’t in power — in this case, Democrats — but Coffman, a Republican, said he is rolling the dice to force action on what has been a divisive issue for his party.
He said he hasn’t yet reached out to fellow lawmakers for support, although he added that he already called the staff of House leadership to let them know what he was doing. He said he doesn’t want to reach out to other members of Congress until Trump reveals his plans for DACA.
“It’s not fair for me to call them until I see what the president does,” Coffman said.
But he said he was hopeful for success if it comes to that, as the time-sensitive nature of the issue might prompt his colleagues to act – given that DACA deportations could begin soon after Trump makes his decision.
Coffman said the number calls to his office about DACA has been steady since Trump took office, but they recently picked up. “For some time, we’ve been getting calls about concerns,” he said.
Only one of the 12 Republican co-sponsors on Coffman’s bill contacted Friday morning by The Denver Post responded with comment about the discharge petition.
“I have not spoken yet with Congressman Coffman about the discharge petition,” said U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., in a statement. “I am currently waiting for the president’s decision on the future of this program and the legislative steps Congress can take. I look forward to reviewing all possible legislative options, including the proposals of Congressman Coffman.”
Some Democrats have accused Coffman of playing politics on the issue — as his approach to immigration used to be much more conservative before redistricting forced him into a swing seat outside Denver.
“Mike Coffman’s latest flip-flop on immigration is purely political and a sign of just how vulnerable he is ahead of 2018,” said Javier Gamboa, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
But Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Polis of Boulder said he was encouraged by Coffman’s efforts and that he would back the move. “I was heartened that my colleague — Rep. Coffman from Colorado — has said that he will file a discharge petition,” Polis said.
Staff writer Jesse Paul contributed to this report from Denver.
