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BY DEAN DeCHIARO AND BRIDGET BOWMAN, CQ ROLL CALL

President Donald Trump may want senators to re-form a Gang of Eight-style group focused on passing comprehensive immigration legislation. But a hyper-partisan atmosphere in Congress combined with the bitter legacy of the last failed overhaul means Trumps wish will likely go unfulfilled.

On Thursday, Trump told lawmakers gathered at the White House he was open to reviewing efforts to revive a comprehensive overhaul bill like the one that passed the Senate 68-32 in 2013. But White House officials said Trump opposes the bill as written. It would have granted most of the 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally a path to legal status.

Despite the presidents opposition to any immigration policy granting amnesty to undocumented immigrants, Trump seemed intrigued by the 2013 bills initial success before it died in the House amid a wave of conservative opposition, according to West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin III, who attended the meeting and later relayed the conversation to reporters.

He didnt walk away from it. He engaged, said Manchin. And John Cornyn and I were there. And he said, You guys get together. He said, John you voted against it. He said, Joe you voted for it. He says, Find out, lets see.

But by Thursday night, Cornyn, the Senates No. 2 GOP leader and new chairman of the Judiciary immigration subcommittee, had quickly thrown water on the idea.

Ive never seen a story spin out of control so quickly, he said. There was a discussion about immigration, and the president did express an interest in the topic and that was a little bit of a surprise.

Democrats, including Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer,seemed initially hopeful yet hesitant when asked about the discussion. Schumer placed the onus for action on the Republican majority.

If our Republican friends step up to the plate, we could do something good, hesaid.

But without buy-in from Republicans like Cornyn and Judiciary Chairman Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa not to mention a sizable number of House conservatives staunchly opposed to any measures that include a pathway to legal status for the undocumented the path toward passing comprehensive overhaul legislation is murky and wrought with obstacles.

The typical definition of a comprehensive immigration overhaul consists of bolstered border security, increased enforcement of immigration laws within the United States, new or revamped guest worker programs, and a path to legal status or full citizenship for otherwise law-abiding undocumented immigrants.

Most Republicans have long-maintained that a legislative package dealing with all four components is a non-starter, instead opting to tackle border security first, then interior enforcement and, somewhere down the line, the possibility of legal status for some but never all of the 11 million undocumented immigrants.

But the 2013 Gang of Eight bill, drafted by four Democrats and four Republicans, sought to tackle all the components at once. Schumer was among the Democrats in the group.

Confidence was high following its passage in what was then a Democratic-led Senate, but hope dissipated after then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia lost a Republican primary to conservative Dave Brat, who ran on a staunch anti-immigration platform.

While several factors contributed to Cantors defeat, Brat said immigration was a key issue that crystallized the differences between the two Republicans. Then-Speaker John A. Boehnerdeclined to bring the Senate bill up for a floor vote.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a Gang of Eight member who no longer supports a comprehensive bill, said Thursday a piecemeal approach advocated by many Republicans remains the best strategy.

I still dont think the votes exist for that [2013] bill, the way it was structured. And ultimately, in order for that to become law, I think well have to in steps. It would be very difficult to pass an immigration law that does it all at once, Rubio said.

With Trump easily swatting away establishment candidates like Rubio in last years Republican presidential primary, the legacy of Cantors defeat and its effect on willingness to take up comprehensive immigration overhaul seemed intact.

At least until Thursday.

Nevertheless, some Republicans in favor of immigration overhaul, including Gang of Eight member Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, still believe in taking on extremists in their own party in order to fix an immigration system widely seen as broken. Graham has said hes prepared to use the 2013 bill as a jumping off point for a new effort to write a comprehensive bill.

Some Democrats are willing to work with Graham and with Trump.

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez, another Gang of Eight member, said the presidents anti-immigrant campaign rhetoric and executive order temporarily barring immigration from seven predominantly Muslim nations should not deter lawmakers from working with him on immigration.

Just because I dont care for his Muslim ban doesnt mean Im not willing to work with him, Menendez told reporters Thursday. I realize hes going to be here for four years. I want to get something done on immigration reform, and were going to need him.

Ryan Lucas and Niels Lesniewski contributed to this report.

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'Gang of Eight' Revival Unlikely on Immigration Overhaul - Roll Call

If companies can't bring the world's top talent to the U.S.a foundation of the tech industryit's unclear how the U.S. will retain a leadership position.

The chaos resulting from the recent presidential executive order over immigration hasn't escaped anyone. But, beyond the political implications and ramifications, there's growing concern in the tech world about entry bans. Already, companies ranging from Google and Apple to Microsoft and Facebook have had to focus on employees caught in the commotion and potentially unable to travel.

But this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. More than 100 tech firms have signed on an amicus brief opposing the travel ban, according to "Tech CEOs Take a Stand Against Donald Trumps Immigration Order," a story in The Wall Street Journal,

And the list keeps on going. It now includes the likes of Yelp, Square, Dropbox, Uber, Twitter, Netflix, Salesforce and Space X. In addition, Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeffrey Bezos recently said that he supported the lawsuit filed by Washington state's attorney general against the executive order on immigration and refugees.

"The order represents a significant departure from the principles of fairness and predictability that have governed the immigration system of the United States for more than fifty years ...," the brief states. "The order makes it more difficult and expensive for U.S. companies to recruit, hire, and retain some of the world's best employees. It disrupts ongoing business operations. And it threatens companies' ability to attract talent, business, and investment to the United States."

It's certainly not an abstract concept. According to think tank Joint Venture, an estimated 37 percent of the Silicon Valley workforce is foreign-born.

On a separate but related front, there's also discussion about reducing the number of H-1B visas issued. This would impact the number of foreign workers who could work in the U.S.

Again, political issues aside, there's a lot to be concerned about regarding any significant change in H-1B visas. If companies can't bring the world's top talent to the U.S.which has become a foundation of the tech industryit's unclear how the U.S. will retain a leadership position.

Perhaps companies will move some offices out of the U.S. Perhaps they will move the company to a country that offers a more desirable environment. It's not clear how either of these approaches would benefit America or make it "great" again.

Also, if tech companies are forced to hire less than top tier talent to run and manage their operations, it's difficult to envision how they will continue to innovate and stay on top.

That's a no-win situation for everyone.

Samuel Greengard writes about business and technology for Baseline, CIO Insight and other publications. His most recent book is The Internet of Things (MIT Press, 2015).

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Immigration Reform Can Be a Threat to Tech - BaselineMag.com - Baseline (blog)

The politics of immigration in the Senate are shifting in the Trump era.

Sens. Tom CottonTom CottonGOP shifting on immigration Iran, the other 'Islamic State,' turns 38. Let's make this year its last. Cruz: Supreme Court 'likely' to uphold Trump order MORE (R-Ark.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.), two of President Trump's strongest allies in the Senate, want to dramatically cut the number of green cards issued every year by the United States.

The Raise Act, sponsored by Cotton and Perdue, would cut legal immigration annually over the next decade from 1.05 million (the annual level measured in 2015) to 539,000.

It would prioritize skilled workers and the spouses and minor children of citizens and legal permanent residents over people who want to enter the country based on extended family links.

The Cotton-Perdue bill is a sign of the shifting tides on immigration in the GOP Senate.

Republican have worried that opposition to immigration reform could hurt their party with the nations growing Latino and Asian populations. But President Trumps victory in the presidential election seemed to offer a different signal.

Proposals to cut down on legal immigration will draw opposition from much of the business community including Silicon Valley, where for years leaders have called on Washington to increase legal immigration.

And there are opponents in the Senate.

I oppose the idea of cutting green cards," said Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey GrahamGOP shifting on immigration THE MEMO: Trump loses at court so far Overnight Cybersecurity: Senate takes a hard line on Russia | Dems want hearings on Trump's cyber issues MORE (R-S.C.), a member of the bipartisan Gang of Eight that crafted the 2013 immigration bill. It was approved by the Senate but went nowhere in the House.

Graham says the wave of Baby Boomers expected to retire over the next few years and begin drawing Social Security and Medicare benefits need to be supported by a large workforce.

When you look at the 20-year demographics we're facing, we'll have an aging population and a declining workforce, he said.

Sen. John McCainJohn McCainGOP shifting on immigration President Trump and financial regulation: 'the setup' and 'the sting' Trump-McCain feud takes new turn MORE (R-Ariz.) warned the Cotton-Perdue proposal would stifle innovation.

I just don't agree with it, he said.

I think we need more Sergey Brins and people like that who were born outside of this country, came here, received an education and made enormous progress for all of mankind, he added, making reference to the Soviet-born founder of Google.

The question now is whether there is more support in the Senate GOP for the Graham-McCain view of immigration, or whether the Cotton-Perdue side is winning out.

For years there have been signs of a change.

The first big signal came in 2014 when Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.), then a little-known challenger, upset former House Majority Leader Eric CantorEric CantorGOP shifting on immigration Breitbarts influence grows inside White House Ryan reelected Speaker in near-unanimous GOP vote MORE (R-Va.) in a Republican primary.

Trump then shocked the political establishment by winning the 2016 GOP nomination and general election. He campaigned on a populist platform that decried the decline of American wages under pressure from immigration.

The Cotton-Perdue legislation is similar to ideas pushed by former Sen. Jeff SessionsJeff SessionsKaty Perry wears 'Persist' armband in Grammys performance Franken says he would have told Trump calling Warren Pocahontas was 'racist' Trump's solicitor general should be the man who took on Bill Clinton MORE (R-Ala.), an early Trump supporter whose colleagues voted to confirm him last week as attorney general.

During the Senates immigration debate in 2013, Sessions offered an amendment to cut legal immigration but was outvoted 17 to one.

Sessions is now one of Trump's closest advisors, and his former spokesman, Stephen Miller, is now senior policy advisor to Trump.

Cotton, who is emerging as a leading conservative voice in the chamber, is picking up Sessions's mantel. And it appears he could win more votes now than Sessions did four years ago.

The shifting politics of immigration is reflected by the evolution of Sen. Marco RubioMarco RubioGOP shifting on immigration THE MEMO: Trump loses at court so far Trump compliments Japanese leader for his 'strong hands' MORE (R-Fla.), a member of the Gang of Eight, who was in charge of selling the 2013 Senate bill to Republican conservatives.

He has gone from being a champion of comprehensive immigration reform legislation to someone who now argues that the reform effort should be broken up into pieces.

McCain, by contrast, has argued that comprehensive reform is still the best way to get needed Democratic votes.

Sen. Jeff FlakeJeff FlakeGOP senator echoes Gorsuch on Trump's judge comments GOP shifting on immigration Puppy mills arent partisan: Animal abuse deserves scrutiny MORE (R-Ariz.) says he is not enthusiastic about the idea of placing lower caps on the overall number of legal immigrants, including highly skilled workers with H1B visas.

He does, however, like swapping out some of the family-based visas for skills-based visas.

Rubio spoke the most positively of the Cotton-Perdue bill of the members of the 2013 Gang of Eight.

As far as the numbers and all that, I don't know there's a magic number. I know the number of immigrants to the United States over the last 30 years is historically high. I'm open about people who think the numbers should be different, he told The Hill.

Republican lawmakers aren't eager for another big debate on immigration, but they may not be able to avoid one.

They expect President Trump to address the 750,000 immigrants who are protected from deportation by President Obama's executive order that set up the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

And Trump urged a bipartisan group of senators he met with at the White HouseThursdayto continue working on immigration legislation.

I don't think there's any appetite for a big comprehensive piece, but some of it is going to be visited upon us, Flake said, citing an impending decision on the DACA children.

Graham and Sen. Dick DurbinDick DurbinGOP shifting on immigration Cruz: Supreme Court 'likely' to uphold Trump order Schumer: Trump should see 'handwriting on the wall,' drop order MORE (D-Ill.), who worked on the Senate immigration bill in 2013, introduced legislation in December to shield them from deportation, but it is not yet scheduled for committee or floor action.

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GOP shifting on immigration - The Hill

Charlotte Observer

Tillis to continue push for bipartisan immigration reform Charlotte Observer Thom Tillis said Saturday that he will continue to push for bipartisan reform to fix what he calls America's broken immigration system. You will never satisfy the far extremes on the left and the right, Tillis, R-N.C., told Fox News. His aim, he said ... and more »

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Tillis to continue push for bipartisan immigration reform - Charlotte Observer

Some don't answer knocks on their doors. They're taping bedsheets over windows and staying off social media. Nervous parents and their children constantly exchange text messages and phone calls.

From New York to Los Angeles, a series of immigration arrests this week have unleashed waves of fear and uncertainty across immigrant communities.

"There are people that I work with who essentially want to go dark," said Cesar Vargas, one of the first immigrants without legal status in New York state to be sworn in as a lawyer.

"They don't want to be public in any way whatsoever. They spend less time on the street. They go to work and go straight back home. They don't go on Facebook. They put curfews on themselves."

The arrests come amid court battles over Trump's proposed ban on immigrants from seven majority-Muslim nations. The president has also vowed to deport some 3 million undocumented immigrants who have criminal records and to build a wall across the porous US-Mexico border.

"There are teachers who told me they had students missing from school out of fear," said Greg Casar, a city council member in Austin, Texas.

"I was with a constituent, a single mother with kids -- good, hardworking everyday folks -- and she had duct-taped sheets up and down her windows. ICE had come and knocked on her door earlier in the day."

Casar, the son of Mexican immigrants, spoke on the phone Saturday from a meeting of about 100 teachers who gathered to discuss how to talk to children about ICE actions and assure them they're safe at school.

"Kids ... are clearly traumatized by this," he said. "Young people I've spoken to live in fear that their government is coming for them or coming for their parents. Where do you go?"

One ICE operation in the Los Angeles area this week targeted criminals and fugitives. The agency said the majority of those arrested had criminal histories.

ICE said Friday that about 160 foreign nationals were arrested during the week.

Of those, 150 had criminal histories, and of the remaining arrests, five had final orders of removal or were previously deported.

ICE said 95% of those arrested were male. By Saturday, 37 had been deported to Mexico, a Homeland Security official told CNN.

Supporters of the sweeps say they are surprised that actions enforcing US immigration laws are making the news.

"President Trump campaigned on the issue of enforcing the nation's laws, and that's exactly what is happening here," said Dave Ray, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a non-profit that fights for reduced immigration and tighter borders.

John Torres, a retired deputy director of ICE and longtime immigration agent, said the last time such a spike in enforcement occurred was during the Bush administration, from 2006 to 2008.

"What's different here is that you have a more robust agency than you had 10 years ago," Torres said. "And the expanded scope of priorities now, coupled with the fact that you have far more jurisdictions that are not cooperating with ICE, is forcing ICE agents to make those arrests out in the community."

While the Obama administration had clear guidance prioritizing deportation of high-level criminals, an executive order signed by Trump in his first week set up enforcement priorities that could include virtually any undocumented immigrant living in the United States.

Many of the largest cities in the country have vowed not to cooperate with federal law enforcement on immigration matters. They are known as "sanctuary" cities, a broad term applied to jurisdictions that have policies limiting cooperation with or involvement in federal immigration enforcement actions.

Cities, counties and some states have a range of laws and informal policies that qualify as "sanctuary" positions.

In New York's Staten Island, Vargas has been busy since Trump's inauguration advising members of a growing immigrant community.

Vargas, a Mexican-born lawyer and immigrant activist, has also been busy checking up on his mother, who is also undocumented. And she checks on him.

"My mom tells me, 'Don't travel here, don't travel there,'" said Vargas, who has benefited from federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.

"I'm still undocumented. She's undocumented. I have DACA but she doesn't. I tell her not to open the door for anyone. Know your rights and give me a call right away."

Put in place by the Obama administration, the DACA program has helped roughly 750,000 young people -- known as DREAMers -- emerge from the shadows and obtain valid driver's licenses, enroll in college and legally secure jobs.

Trump has vowed to repeal the program.

"We're in major suspense with the Trump administration," said Vargas, who was 5 he crossed the border from Tijuana to San Diego.

"What is he going to do with DACA? The program can be taken away anytime at the discretion of Immigration. They can say, even if he has DACA, we're going to pick him up because he is undocumented."

Vargas has been working with undocumented veterans who joined the US military with hopes of getting US citizenship.

Some veterans -- green card holders who served in Iraq and Afghanistan -- did not go through the entire process of becoming citizens. Many returned to the United States with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Some got hooked on illegal drugs and ended up with felony drug convictions.

They now face deportation.

"Yes, these people have committed crimes, but these are people who the government was supposed to take care of," Vargas said. "If Donald Trump is so worried about veterans, these are people he should be worried about."

In Brooklyn, New York, an undocumented immigrant named Antonio -- who asked that his full name not be used -- said it has been an emotional week for his partner and their two children, ages 3 and 8. His partner cries at the many news reports of separated immigrant families.

"People are not leaving the house to get a cup of coffee, to have dinner or take their children to the library," said Antonio, who came to the United States from Mexico 17 years ago.

"You don't know when the next roundup will be. You go to work. You come back home."

He says he is cautious on the street.

"I'm looking around all the time," he said. "It's not only (ICE) but the police as well. What if they stop you and ask you questions?"

A construction worker, Antonio said he has paid taxes for years. He was part of a small army of unauthorized immigrants who toiled in the reconstruction efforts in Queens and Staten Island after Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

"We were among the first to respond during that catastrophe," he said.

"We helped rebuild homes and the owners still seek us out for work. But some people feel we're taking away (jobs). We take the jobs they don't want. So it's, 'Oh, you helped me rebuild my house but now I don't need you and you should go back to Mexico.'"

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After ICE arrests, fear spreads among undocumented immigrants - CNN