Republicans’ efforts to expand fast-tracked deportations and levy steep fees on immigrants in a sweeping tax and spending bill faced a setback Friday as the Senate parliamentarian ruled against some provisions.
Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate’s independent rulekeeper, found that several fees, including $1,000 for asylum applications, didn’t meet the Senate’s rules for simple-majority passage in budget reconciliation, according to Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee.
The ruling is a setback for Republicans seeking to use reconciliation to advance their immigration agenda and bolster President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, and partially offset the spending with fees.
The parliamentarian has ruled ...