Trump says would back both House immigration bills as separation crisis grows

Thursday, 21 June 2018 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

WASHINGTON (Reuters): US President Donald Trump told Republican lawmakers on Tuesday he would back either of the immigration bills making their way through the House of Representatives, as the outcry grew over his administration’s separation of immigrant parents and children at the US-Mexico border.

Representative Mark Meadows said Trump told Republican members of the House at a meeting on Capitol Hill that they needed to get something done on immigration “right away”.

In the meeting, Trump said separating families was “certainly not an attractive thing and does look bad,” added Representative Tom Cole.

Congressional Republicans have been scrambling to craft legislation as videos of youngsters in cages and an audiotape of wailing children have sparked anger at home from groups ranging from clergy to influential business leaders, as well as condemnation abroad.

A ReutersIpsos national opinion poll released on Tuesday showed less than one in three American adults supporting the policy. The 16-19 June poll found that 28% of people polled supported the policy, while 57% opposed it and the remaining 15% said they did not know.