US immigration fight jeopardizes homeland security funding
The US Senate votes Tuesday on whether to advance a controversial Republican bill that funds homeland security but rolls back President Barack Obama's immigration plan, with Democrats revolting against the measure. In December, lawmakers funded all federal departments through the end of fiscal year 2015 except for the Department of Homeland Security, which it funded only through February 27 so the new Republican-controlled Congress could put brakes on Obama's plan to shield millions of undocumented workers from deportation. The subsequent battle over DHS funding has become one of the most turbulent congressional debates of 2015, with Republicans irate over what they describe as presidential overreach, and most Democrats lining up behind Obama, who has threatened to veto the legislation. Last month, the House passed the bill funding DHS through September, but attached five riders that would strip Obama's authority to carry out his unilateral immigration action.