Trump’s Comments on Immigration Muddy Prospects for Compromise Bill

President’s comments, days after House leaders said they had White House support, threaten GOP detente.

President Donald Trump on Friday upended delicate House negotiations over immigration legislation by suggesting he wouldn’t sign a compromise measure, prompting a clarifying tweet from the president and leaving Republicans uncertain about how to proceed.

In a morning interview with Fox News, Mr. Trump had indicated he wouldn’t sign a “moderate” immigration bill, a remark that was taken by many to mean he was rejecting a recently released bill assembled by negotiators from the GOP’s moderate and conservative wings. The bill is aimed at giving young immigrants legal status while also tightening the border and moving to a merit-based immigration system.

By Friday afternoon, Mr. Trump had tweeted comments that appeared to suggest he continued to support both a compromise bill and an alternative favored by conservatives. “Any Immigration Bill MUST HAVE full funding for the Wall, end Catch & Release, Visa Lottery and Chain, and go to Merit Based Immigration,” Mr. Trump wrote, referring to some provisions included in the compromise measure. “Go for it! WIN!”

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