White House and Senate negotiators are racing to reach a border deal, with aid to Ukraine at stake.

CNN
—

Democrats and Republicans will not be able to reach an agreement on changes to US southern border policy this year, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Sunday. Weeks of negotiations On linking stricter immigration restrictions to supplementary funding for Ukraine and Israel.

“Republicans feel like we’re getting cornered,” Graham said during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “We’re not close to an agreement. It’s going to go into next year.”

Democrats and Republicans are urgently trying to reach an agreement on border policy changes before senators leave town for the holidays, but many congressional aides doubt the possibility of reaching an agreement as significant disagreements remain.

President Joe Biden has repeatedly called on Congress to approve his request for additional national security funding, which includes billions of dollars for Ukraine, Israel and border security, among other priorities. He warned that the money was needed for Ukraine, which the United States had pledged to support in defense against Russia and, more broadly, for American national security.

But still the package – It was introduced in October – It stays stopped.

For weeks, negotiators on both sides wrestled over linking tougher immigration restrictions to additional funding for Ukraine and Israel. Republicans insist on the need to make a change at the southern border of the United States, where Migrant mutations Federal resources have been exhausted to advance funding for Ukraine.

“This is a disaster, and it is a result of Biden’s policies on open borders,” Senator John Cornyn of Texas said on “Fox News Sunday.” “We will use this opportunity to change that.”

In a sign of the challenges negotiators face as they try to reach an immigration deal that could pass the Senate this week, 15 GOP senators, including Graham, are calling for a special meeting in January to discuss the negotiations. In a letter sent Sunday to Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, the senators criticized the “rushed and secretive” talks.

Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, the top Republican at the negotiating table for border talks, said he believes meeting to discuss the legislation when the House returns the week of Jan. 8 is a “realistic timeline.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer He insisted The Senate is scheduled to hold a vote on the legislation this week, but Lankford noted that senators still do not have a legislative text.

“It’s up to Leader Schumer, but we don’t have a text. So, there’s no text to vote on,” he said, adding that senators will meet again on Monday.

Senate negotiators Kyrsten Sinema, an independent from Arizona, and Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, told reporters Sunday night after spending the day in talks that they were continuing to make progress, but did not set a timeline for reaching an agreement, saying the meetings It will continue on Monday. .

“We’re making progress and that’s a good thing,” Sinema said.

If the Senate leaves town for the holidays without reaching a deal, the White House will have to figure it out Difficult choices about supplying allies like Ukraine At the expense of American military preparedness. The supplemental request also includes $14 billion for border security.

But potential changes to tighten asylum, among other tougher immigration measures, are difficult to accept with Democrats, who worry that the White House is adopting Trump-era immigration policies.

Over the weekend, senior White House officials, including White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, called on Republican and Democratic lawmakers to try to reach consensus on border policy changes, two sources familiar with the discussions told CNN. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was on Capitol Hill on Sunday to meet with Senate negotiators.

Zients on Saturday held a phone call with some members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, one source said, which raised concern about the direction of the border talks.

The other source said major sticking points remain as negotiators try to reach an agreement. They include measures that result in the expulsion of migrants at the US-Mexico border, effectively preventing migrants from seeking asylum at the border; Limiting the use of parole, which allows immigrants to temporarily live in the United States on a case-by-case basis; The source said that mandatory imprisonment. Other proposals include raising the criterion of credible fear for asylum seekers and expanding the use of expedited removal procedures.

Republicans have also shown renewed interest in the Safe Third Country Agreement, which would prevent migrants from seeking asylum in the United States if they pass through other countries before arriving at the U.S. border, the source said.

For Biden, the politics right now are complicated. While losing support from the Democratic base could cost him in next November’s election, the perception of doing nothing on border security could also have broader implications.

Migrant concerns at the US-Mexico border have reached record levels during Biden’s presidency. While Biden officials have stressed that the arrests reflect record immigration in the Western Hemisphere, the issue is sure to be a drag in the 2024 presidential election as Republicans point the finger at the president’s immigration policies.

This story and headline have been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Manu Raju, Morgan Reimer and Lauren Fox contributed to this report.