--- title: Why Republicans Can't Agree on Immigration description: The immigration debate has roiled the party and clouded House Speaker Paul Ryan's future atop the caucus canonical: https://time.com/5305068/republicans-immigration-discharge-petition/ author: Philip Elliott article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-06-07T20:03:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:04:01.493Z article:section: Politics og:title: Why Republicans Can't Agree on Immigration og:description: Why Republicans Can't Agree on Immigration og:url: https://time.com/5305068/republicans-immigration-discharge-petition/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf3d003cd0f9d532b/69893263fb4eac6a93896cc6/house-speaker-paul-ryan.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4736 og:image:height: 2664 og:image:alt: House Speaker Paul Ryan og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Republicans Can't Agree on Immigration twitter:description: Why Republicans Can't Agree on Immigration twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf3d003cd0f9d532b/69893263fb4eac6a93896cc6/house-speaker-paul-ryan.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why Republicans Can't Agree on Immigration > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=edc8032f-74d0-4676-8d47-228ef9cf0cfa&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Twice a week | time.com/newsletters, September 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=edc8032f-74d0-4676-8d47-228ef9cf0cfa&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=edc8032f-74d0-4676-8d47-228ef9cf0cfa&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=edc8032f-74d0-4676-8d47-228ef9cf0cfa&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: A Day in A Dreamer’s Life [Watch (HLS stream): A Day in A Dreamer’s Life](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fE7SysOq.m3u8) (2:37)  _Published 2018-03-01. Corina Barranco starts each American day the same way she started her American life: by putting one foot in front of another._  by [Philip Elliott](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott Senior Correspondent Jun 7, 2018 8:03 PM UTC  Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis.,l in Washington on May 10, 2018 Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis.,l in Washington on May 10, 2018 J. Scott Applewhite—AP  by [Philip Elliott](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott Senior Correspondent Jun 7, 2018 8:03 PM UTC When House Republicans lawmakers left the closed-door meeting about immigration on Thursday, they weren’t sure what comes next in a debate that has roiled the party and clouded House Speaker Paul Ryan’s future atop the caucus. Some optimistic congressmen said they were going to work on a Republican-driven compromise measure that could make its way through the House by July. Others preferred a [bipartisan plan](http://time.com/5273034/daca-undocumented-immigrants-dreamers-discharge-petition/) to force a vote on a plan to fix the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program—over Ryan’s objections. Still others said Ryan, who [is leaving](http://time.com/5236804/paul-ryan-retire-decision/) Congress at the end of this term, is trying to line up one more big-win legacy item at the expense of his conservative flank. So went yet another morning in the basement of the Capitol, with almost everyone decrying the current state of America’s immigration system and no one agreeing how to fix it. “There is no deal today,” said Rep. Mark Meadows, the influential chairman of the conservative Freedom Caucus. Ryan is facing challenges from both flanks. Moderates are pushing an immigration plan that would provide protections for the 18 million young immigrants who came to the United States as young children and would offer a pathway to citizenship for others already here. Those moderates are joined by [Democrats](http://time.com/5112818/government-shutdown-ends-democrats/) and political pragmatists, who read polling that shows so-called Dreamers have public opinion on their side. Standing against them are those who call any such plans “amnesty” and show little sign of caring that Democrats plan to weaponize this issue in this fall’s elections. Some are true hard-liners on this issue, including members of the Freedom Caucus, while others do not see a scenario where President Trump could agree to such a proposal and may retaliate against lawmakers or immigrants who buck his demands. Without the backing of Meadows’ bloc, the House is essentially at a standstill on this issue if they want to do anything with only Republican votes. White House representatives at the meeting said Trump’s demands remain in place, including a hardline crackdown on immigration and a demand for [a border wall](http://time.com/5219475/donald-trump-pentagon-border-wall/). There was no clarity on when a vote might come. Ryan said he was giving lawmakers space to find a solution. “Our new deadline is to not have a deadline,” Ryan said cheerfully. That talk ran directly counter to what others said coming out of the session. “The goal would be to have this done by the end of July,” Rep. Peter King of New York said after the meeting. Meanwhile, lawmakers who were trying to use a procedural gambit to force a vote over Ryan’s objections were looking at June 13 as a deadline. Lawmakers need a simple majority of 218 members to circumvent the near-absolute power of Ryan and his Leadership Team to keep matters off the House floor. On Thursday afternoon those two-dozen Republicans were nearing that magic number to partner with Democrats and force a vote for the Dreamers, using what is called a discharge petition. A sudden flurry of support for the petition could trigger a leadership fight far more quickly than Ryan’s team anticipated. Or maybe not. Ryan’s team noted that such votes can only take place on the second or fourth Mondays of the month, [according to the House Rules Committee](https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/97-552.pdf). And those votes require at least seven days of waiting time. Practically speaking, that means June 25 would be the soonest any vote on a measure not endorsed by Ryan could take place. The [race](http://time.com/5298465/house-republican-leadership-race-mccarthy/) to replace Ryan loomed in the background. Inside the closed-door meeting, several lawmakers said they felt the hard-liners lean into talks more than they had before. Those skeptical of the Freedom Caucus’ sincerity and motives wondered aloud whether they were walking into a trap. If Meadows and his pals were to sign onto this petition, it seems all but guaranteed most Republicans would have to support a full vote on the floor of the House. The so-called Dreamers would be protected and Ryan would come away badly wounded. It would be a betrayal of their hard-and-fast pledge to oppose loosening immigration rules—but it could topple Ryan and accelerate the leadership change atop the conference for which some hard-liners have begun clamoring. That’s why many outside observers, especially donors who are begging lawmakers to protect the politically popular so-called Dreamers, were confused by the mixed signals. The moderates said the hard-liners had offered them a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, perhaps through a newly created visa process. The hard-liners vehemently disagreed with this statement, throwing any goodwill into a tailspin. “There is more consensus than not,” Ryan said. Countered Meadows: “There is no consensus.” ## Transcript [00:00] I was five when I across the border to get here. I [00:04] remember just walking and walking and feeling like [00:09] I was never going to stop. We were all hungry. We saw [00:12] it a bag of Oreo's in the trash. Just seeing some food, [00:16] just got me so happy and I think I was We had to share [00:20] the little bag of Oreos between other people. I [00:25] walk to school whether its sunny or snowing, [00:29] raining I still go to school because for me education is [00:32] important. One nation under God. Indivisible with [00:33] liberty and justice for all. I found [00:37] out that [ LAUGH ] I think i have a hole in my boot from [00:40] wearing it too much and walking and so I need new [00:43] shoes pretty soon. [ LAUGH ] Watching my classmates [00:48] applyiing for scholarships, I have to admit, I feel kinda [00:51] jealous knowing that just because of a paper, I [00:55] don't get the same benefits. It sucks, and [00:59] I think it's unfair. But there's really nothing I can do [01:02] about it. I didn't choose to be born in Mexico. I [01:07] want to be a cop so then the community, it's Hispanic. [01:11] So I can relate to them and they can feel like they can [01:15] trust me. Something that changed my mind about the [01:19] police is I went through a program called the Lorain [01:22] Police Citizen's Academy. I got to experience firsthand [01:26] what it's like. What they feel. I realized that their job is [01:30] to protect us and help us, not scare us. I met the chief [01:35] of the police. He became a really close friend of my [01:38] family. I don't know whether you can be a police officer [01:42] with DACA. It requires that you be a US citizen, but if [01:45] they change and do comphrensive immigration reform [01:48] then that can be addressed. See how different they [01:49] are? Yeah. I [01:53] sit down a minute and think of the whole DACA thing. I [01:57] feel like my heart start beating fast because I don't [01:59] know what's going to happen. I start to get too [02:02] worried, and stressed, and scared. The American [02:06] dream for me just like the constitution said, the [02:11] pursue of happiness. Having a good job and starting [02:15] a family with someone and I having to worry about. Am [02:18] I going to stay here or am I going to leave. What's going [02:21] to happen to me I do consider myself American. [02:26] I grew up here. America is the only place I know as [02:30] home. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5305068/republicans-immigration-discharge-petition/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5305068/republicans-immigration-discharge-petition/"},"headline":"Why Republicans Can't Agree on Immigration","datePublished":"2018-06-07T20:03:23.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:04:01.493Z","description":"The immigration debate has roiled the party and clouded House Speaker Paul Ryan's future atop the caucus","url":"https://time.com/5305068/republicans-immigration-discharge-petition/","keywords":["Immigration","Congress","Paul Ryan","Donald Trump","border wall","dreamers"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf3d003cd0f9d532b/69893263fb4eac6a93896cc6/house-speaker-paul-ryan.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Philip Elliott","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf3d003cd0f9d532b/69893263fb4eac6a93896cc6/house-speaker-paul-ryan.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"House Speaker Paul Ryan","caption":"House Speaker Paul Ryan","creditText":"J. Scott Applewhite—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/immigration/","name":"Immigration"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5305068/republicans-immigration-discharge-petition/","name":"Why Republicans Can't Agree on Immigration"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"A Day in A Dreamer’s Life","description":"Corina Barranco starts each American day the same way she started her American life: by putting one foot in front of another.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/fE7SysOq/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2018-03-01T16:15:59.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fE7SysOq.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5305068/republicans-immigration-discharge-petition/","duration":"PT2M37S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5305068/republicans-immigration-discharge-petition/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```