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Citing immigration as a critical issue facing America, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) asked Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) to agree to specific limitations on immigration policy in exchange for his support of Ryan's speaker bid.

"Immigration is far and away the most important problem facing America because it changes the voter pool, thereby controlling the outcome of every single public policy challenge America faces," Brooks said in an interview with TPM.

Last week, Brooks, a staunch opponent of immigration reform, delivered a letter to Ryan stating that undocumented immigration has hurt American workers, and asking Ryan confirm that he will not attempt to pass immigration reform while President Obama is in office or without majority support form House Republicans.

"Struggling American families have lost more than 8 million job opportunities to illegal aliens. All lower and middle income American workers have suffered from suppressed wages caused by the surge in both illegal alien and lawful immigrant labor supply," Brooks wrote.

Ryan agreed to the terms, according to Brooks.

Brooks told TPM on Tuesday that he pushed for a written agreement because written ones are "always more powerful than oral ones." He said he focused on immigration, rather than other issues discussed between Ryan and the House Freedom Caucus, because it's the most important issue Congress has to handle.

Brooks also opposes the bipartisan deal reached by Congressional leaders on Monday night to raise the debt ceiling and set a two-year budget.

"It is wholly and totally financially irresponsible," Brooks told TPM on Tuesday. "I will definitely vote against such short-sighted legislation that is financially irresponsible and threatens the solvency of America while at the same time burdening our children and our grand-children for decades to come."

Despite his disapproval of the legislation, Brooks said he won't change his mind about the speakers race if Ryan ultimately backs the bill.

"This is John Boehners parting shot, and unless I find out information to the contrary, I dont hold any of the speaker candidates responsible for a bad deal they had nothing to do with," Brooks said.

The congressman said that he doesn't believe the budget deal will change the outcome of the speakers race.

"Paul Ryan already has the votes. In an ideal world, legislation as bad as this would cause a sufficient number of congressman to pause and reconsider supporting anyone who supports this legislation," Brooks said. "Unfortunately, the Congress and the White House jointly have a long history of ignoring economic realities in order to be financially irresponsible regardless of the long term damage that is done to our country. That history being plain before us, I dont see this Congress suddenly changing its view on the speakers race because of this debacle of a bill."

Excerpt from:
GOP Rep. Blasts Immigration Reform Because 'It Changes The ...

The governor of Texas had a stern warning Monday for the top lawenforcement official inDallas County: Enforce the nation's laws, or else. Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, addressedSheriff Lupe Valdez in a letter, regarding her using her own discretion -- rather than following federal law -- in casesinvolving detention of undocumented immigrantsjailed on minor crimes.

Your refusal to fully participate in a federal law enforcement program intended to keep dangerous criminals off the streets leaves the state no choice but to take whatever actions are necessary to protect our fellow Texans, Abbott wrote, as reported by the Texas Tribune. Policies like yours compel Texas to take action to protect Texans safety.

In particular, Valdez has been refusing to adhere to a federallaw mandatingall undocumented immigrants in jail be held at least 48 extra hours after their release dates to afford theU.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement ample time to investigate the circumstances surrounding the jailings. For her part, Valdez, a Democratwho is in the throes of a re-election campaign, has said her decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and are what's best for her jurisdiction. Dallas County has a population that is39.3 percent Hispanic or Latino, according to the most recent Census estimates.

No matter what we do, someone is going to get upset, she told the Dallas Morning News earlier this month.We cant base our decisions on who is going to get upset with us. We have to base our decisions on what is best for the whole. It was immediately unclear if she had responded to Abbot's letter Monday.

The concept of sanctuary cities -- or cities that extend certain legal liberties to undocumented immigrants -- has come under scrutiny lately as immigration becomes an increasingly contentious topic during the national and local election season. The Republican Party has been pressuring Abbott to encourage legislative members of his party to draft a bill to rid the state of so-called sanctuary laws that do not encourage deporting undocumented immigrants, according to the Texas Tribune.

Unauthorized Immigrant Population by State | InsideGov

Conservative advocates in Texas have been arguing for Abbott to take action, but so far Monday's letter is apparently the most he's done.

"This is a simple matter of public safety and national security," saidJoAnn Fleming, director of Grassroots America We The People, a nonprofit organization pushing for the end to sanctuary policies.

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Immigration Reform In Dallas: Texas Sheriff's 'Sanctuary ...

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Rep. Paul Ryan promised Rep. Mo Brooks that as speaker he will not bring to the House floor immigration legislation that is not supported by a majority of Republicans, and that there will be no comprehensive immigration reform under this president.

National Review reports that Ryan affirmed those stances by approving of a letter drafted by Brooks.

The letter sought to put on paper promises that Ryan made during a closed-door meeting with the House Freedom Caucus last week.

During that meeting, Ryan said, It is unwise or unproductive to bring up any immigration legislation so long as Barack Obama is President.

Furthermore, Ryan claimed that he would never bring an immigration to the floor unless it is supported by a majority of Republican members.

In the letter, Brooks makes the following request ofRyan: If my portrayal of your words errs in any respect, please deliver to me a written communication correcting my errors, buthe told National Review that Ryan called his office during a staff meeting less than two hours later, confirming the accuracy of his promises.

Ryan told National Review that he has long and publicly been opposed to the gang of eight bill, and there will be no comprehensive immigration reform under this president.

Read the letter from Brooks:

Paul Ryan Immigration Commitments Letter, Annotated

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Ryan: No Immigration Reform Under Obama | The Daily Caller

Paul Ryan has signed off on a letter promising restless members of the House Freedom Caucus (HFC) that he wont bring immigration-reform legislation to the House floor while President Obama remains in office.

The letter, obtained exclusively by National Review, formalizes pledges that Ryan made last weekin a closed-door meeting with select members of the HFC who were skeptical of his promise to maintain an open and inclusive relationship with the caucus. Specifically, it extracts Ryans word that he will not bring up comprehensive immigration reform so long as Barack Obama is president and, as speaker, Ryan will not allow any immigration bill to reach the floor for a vote unless a majority of GOP members support it.

Alabama representative Mo Brooks wrote the letter and will enter it into the Congressional Record on Tuesday morning. He says his intention was to record the pledges Ryan made in the meeting and earn Ryans confirmation that the record was accurate, so he could vote for the Wisconsin Republican in good conscience come the congressional-floor election that will determine the next speaker.

Its been widely reported that Ryan has promised to uphold the second promise in the letter the so-called Hastert Rule, which is designed to ensure that legislation brought to the House floor has broad support in the Republican conference but by agreeing to the letters substance, hes giving his first endorsement of that policy as it specifically applies to immigration reform.

RELATED: How the Freedom Caucus Warmed to Paul Ryan for Speaker

I need your assurance that you will not use the Speakers position to advance your immigration policies...because there is a huge gap between your immigration position and the wishes of the American citizens I represent, Brooks wrote. Your words yesterday constitute the needed assurance.

If my portrayal of your words errs in any respect, please deliver to me...a written communication correcting my errors, the letter reads. Brooks delivered it directly to Ryan on the House floorand says Ryan called his office during a staff meeting less than two hours later, confirming the accuracy of his promises as stated in the letter.

RELATED: How Paul Ryan Got from Never to All In for Speaker

When reached for comment, Ryan confirms Brooks account. I have long and publicly been opposed to the gang of eight bill, and there will be no comprehensive immigration reform under this president, he tellsNational Review.

Ryan may have won over a supermajority of the HFC last Wednesday, but his record on immigration continues to haunt him. Many HFC members are reaping the whirlwind of their unofficial assent to a Ryan speakership, as constituents flood their offices with angry phone calls, demanding to know why they arent fighting to prevent a man who once rallied support for the failed Gang of Eight immigration-reform bill from taking control of the House.

But as Brooks tells it, Ryans pledge indicates a significant step toward allaying misgivings about his past immigration stances, especially among the handful of HFC members Brooks included who have chosen to maintain their support for Florida representative Daniel Webster over Ryan in the GOP-conference vote that precedes the full Houses official speakers election.

RELATED: Paul Ryans Impact on the GOP Is Only Beginning

Brooks is glued to his computer when he speaks to NR, finalizing responses to the many incensed voters who have sent him complaints about Ryan. Nevertheless, with the presumptive speakers promise on immigration in tow, he says hes beginning to look forward. Of the potential for a healthy HFC voice throughout Ryans term, Brooks says, Im cautiously optimistic.

He adds that he believes Ryan will keep his promises.

I said [to him], Ok, Paul...this issue is a major source of disagreement, but I trust you when you give me your word.

Read the full letter below:

Editors Note: This piece has been updated since its initial publication.

Elaina Plott is a William F. Buckley Fellow in Political Journalism at the National Review Institute.

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Paul Ryan Promises: No Immigration Reform under Obama ...

While in Nevada on Thursday, GOP presidential hopeful Jeb Bush engaged ina little-noticed back-and-forth with a student about immigration reform. It went like this:

STUDENT: I want to know your position about a path to citizenship.

BUSH: You know my position.

STUDENT: Im wondering why is [a path to citizenship] okay for your wife but not my parents. Why do you want to just give them legal status? What do you mean by that? Why not a path to citizenship?

BUSH: My wife didnt come here illegally. Theres a difference.

STUDENT: Whats the difference? You mentioned [citizenship] for DREAMers, but how about my parents?

BUSH: No, I gave you my position. [CROSSTALK] I believe in a path to legalized status [UNCLEAR]because I don't think, with 11 million people, well be able to get the consensus...

(You can watch the video on the student's Facebook page. It was promoted by immigration-reform advocacy groups on Thursday.)

Their exchange was essentially the short-and-sweet of why immigration reform is stuck in Congress and has been for years. There's simply a fundamental difference between the right and the left when it comes to the consequences of granting an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants a new pathway to citizenship.

The argument of the student, and much of the left, goes something like: Many of these people are hard-workingmembers of society-- just like Bush's wife. They deserve the same rights citizens have.

Bush, whose wife is indeed Mexican, essentially replied:It's called illegal immigration for a reason. And giving citizenship to 11 million people isn't feasible, politically or logistically, so let's move on.

Bush is among the most moderatein the 2016 GOP field when it comes to immigration reform. As governor of Florida, in 2004 he supported a controversial bill to get undocumented immigrants driver's licenses. But he has a complicated history with the notion of a path to citizenship. He's gone from supporting it -- saying in the summer of 2012, "You have to deal with it, you can't ignore it" -- to appearing to say the opposite in his 2013 book, "Immigration Wars."

"It is absolutely vital to the integrity of our immigration system that actions have consequences in this case, that those who violated the laws can remain but cannot obtain the cherished fruits of citizenship," he wrote.

[Rating the 2016 candidates' many contortions on immigration]

In that paragraph, Bush sums up what many on the right are also concerned about when it comes to a path to citizenship -- specifically, the kind of message it would send.These people, hard-working or not, broke the law. What would happen to the rule of law -- and America's borders -- if they weren't punished but rather given a leg up on other immigrants?

Bush essentially tells the student as much when he says, "My wife didn't come here illegally -- that's the difference."

Public opinion would appear to be just as stubbornly split, mostly along party lines, between Bush and the student.

A July Washington Post-ABC News poll found that six in 10 Americans support -- with some conditions -- allowing undocumented immigrants to gain a form of legal status. Exactly 40 percent said they should be allowed to apply for a path to citizenship.

But as my colleagueJanell Ross noted, there are just enough people who find Republicans' stance on securing the border and focusing on the rule of law appealing to keep public support weighted on both sides. And Democrats' support for a path to citizenship isn't winning them this debate; according to the July poll, 37percent of Americans trust Democrats more to handle immigration, while 40 percent trust Republicans to.

Just about as well as anything, Bush's encounter with that student signifies the vast chasm between the two sides on this issue.And when the disagreement is on such a fundamental level, that makes action even more unlikely.

Amber Phillips writes about politics for The Fix. She was previously the one-woman D.C. bureau for the Las Vegas Sun and has reported from Boston and Taiwan.

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Why immigration reform wont happen any time soon, in one ...