A handful of GOP firebrands are still agitating to use Congress’ power of the purse to reverse Obama’s move to shield millions of immigrants here illegally from deportations.

But top Republicans say they’re not about to go there again: They tried that earlier this year with the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill but were forced to capitulate on the eve of a department shutdown, having won no concessions on immigration. Better to let the issue play out in the courts, the GOP reasoning goes, especially since a judge has already halted the president’s November executive actions — at least for now.

“The avenue that we took last time was a losing battle, and we knew it was a losing battle going into it,” said Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), the man writing this year’s DHS funding bill. “There might be other things we can figure out. We’re putting our heads together on that — but it won’t be what we did last time because what we did last time won’t win.”…

During a recent interview with POLITICO, McConnell suggested that in retrospect, he would have ended the DHS fight more quickly after seeing it would be a losing battle.