About the supposed Republican epiphany on immigration law reform after the election: Republicans in Congress can’t even agree on what to do, reports Politico. Some want piecemeal reform, picking off the most popular planks and leaving the tough stuff — like whether to give millions of illegal immigrants a path to citizenship — for later. Others side with Democrats in saying only a comprehensive deal will get at the problem. The same rifts that existed long before the election are still there. So at least at this early date, there’s scant evidence that the deal that looked so promising on Nov. 7 will materialize.

“Doing a comprehensive bill is a big mistake,” said Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Id.). “What you end up having is a bill that nobody likes. Everybody hates one piece of it. It’s a way to actually avoid doing what we need to do to solve the immigration problem." Republicans who favor a piece-by-piece approach believe that starting with more politically digestible pieces could build bipartisan momentum for a broader overhaul. The general outlines of a comprehensive package are clear. It would include provisions on border security and law enforcement, reforms to the legal immigration system and a solution for the illegal immigrants living in the U.S. It’s that last piece Democrats fear would get left behind if Congress took apart immigration reform.