The Latest: Trump still wants immigration bill, McCaul says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Congress and immigration (all times local):

9:30 a.m.

The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee says the White House has assured him that President Donald Trump remains “100 percent” behind efforts in the House to pass an immigration bill.

Republican Rep. Mike McCaul of Texas says on “Fox News Sunday” that the House needs to pass a wide-ranging immigration bill this week. He says if the House doesn’t act, the nation will see “this human tragedy” continue to happen along the border.

McCaul is suggesting Congress may need to pass a “skinny” immigration bill dealing with family separation if the more wide-ranging version fails.

He says “at a minimum” the House needs to address the separation of immigrant children from their families at the southern border, calling it “inhumane.”

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7:30 a.m.

Republican apprehension over President Donald Trump’s next tweet and fear of riling conservative voters is undermining GOP leaders’ election-year struggle to shove an immigration bill through the House this week. That leaves their prospects for success dubious.

Party leaders hope to finally secure the votes they need for their wide-ranging bill. They’re planning tweaks they hope will bolster support from the GOP’s dueling conservative and moderate wings.

More importantly, wavering Republicans want Trump to provide political cover for immigration legislation that’s despised by hard-right voters. His recent statements on their bill have not been reassuring.

Last Tuesday, he privately told House Republicans that he backed their legislation “1,000 percent.” By Friday, he was tweeting that “Republicans should stop wasting their time on Immigration” and wait until after the November elections.