Trump steering clear of messy House immigration fight
By LISA MASCARO and JILL COLVIN, Associated Press
May 25, 2018 5:53 PM CDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has spent recent weeks publicly hammering Congress to crack down on "legal loopholes" he says allow criminals to enter the country illegally.

But behind the scenes, Trump has shown little interest in jumping into an intensifying Capitol Hill debate over immigration legislation that is unlikely to ever reach his desk.

Trump is largely sitting out the biggest immigration showdown of his presidency as renegade House Republicans — from both the right and the center — drive an effort to force votes on immigration proposals.

That includes legislation that would provide young "Dreamer" immigrants a path to legal status and beef up border security, but may fall short of funding Trump's promised wall along the southern border.