Smaller bills that tackle parts of the immigration system, rather than larger, comprehensive legislation, is what will be necessary to address the problems being faced, Rep. Jeff Denham said Friday.
"I think that there are extremes and both parties that want to politicize the issue and use it for political gain in the election, but there are enough of us that just want to get it done in a bipartisan way," the California Republican told MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
The bipartisan route will be necessary, he continued, "as we do narrow bills."
The first bill will need to be about keeping immigrant families together, added Denham.
"I mean this is just unimaginable," said Denham. "I mean I'm a father. I'd never let anybody take my kids away from you no matter how old they were, and so we will see a narrow piece of legislation first just on that issue."
The challenge, though, on the Republican side, is "every time we propose an immigration bill, all of a sudden we want to make it a big bill, even though we've always said we wouldn't do a comprehensive bill," said Denham.
"I think that we've got to deal with these kids being separated issue first and then move on to Dreamers."
The DACA legislation will need to happen quickly though, as there are court decisions expected, so legislation will have to happen by the end of July or in August, he said, and the family separation legislation would come after the Fourth of July holiday.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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