Democrats may fund parts of Trump’s $4.5B border request

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional Democrats are signaling a willingness to include major elements of President Donald Trump's $4.5 billion request for humanitarian and security needs on the U.S.-Mexico border into an unrelated, widely backed disaster aid bill that appears to finally be breaking free of a partisan logjam.

Democratic aides say Trump's request for additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention beds is off the table, but that Democrats are willing to fund care for more than 360,000 migrants apprehended since October.

A top Democratic senator said a weeks-long fight over aid to Puerto Rico has been settled to Democrats' satisfaction, but a push by a Senate Republican to boost spending on harbor dredging projects remains a hang-up.

The aides spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about negotiations.