Donald Trump insisted Wednesday that he has sent no mixed signal’ about his desire for the DACA program to survive past March 2018 – and said he expects Congress to pass a ‘permanent’ fix.
DACA, the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, is a guaranteed shield against deportation for nearly 800,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
Making the program a legally protected institution instead of a presidential executive order, subject to the whim of future Oval-Office-holders, would please Democrats and immigrants-rights groups.
The devil, however, is always in the White House’s details.
Trump hinted Wednesday that he wants DACA made permanent as part of a broader immigration reform that includes funding for ‘border security’ – Washington’s current euphemism for the wall the president has promised to erect between the U.S. and Mexico.
US President Donald Trump spoke to the press before departing for North Dakota, saying he wants the controversial DACA program written into law – along with ‘border security’ funding
Protesters were out in force at the White House and New York City’s Trump Tower on Tuesday and Wednesday, screaming in defense of a program the president says he wants to preserve – as long as it’s part of a more ambitious approach to immigration reform
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Deputy Commissioner Ronald Vitiello showed off a concept illustration of a U.S.-Mexico border enforcement zone – including Trump’s wall – during a news conference last Thursday
‘I’d like to see something where we have good border security, and we have a great DACA transaction where everybody is happy, and now they don’t have to worry about it anymore,’ he said.
‘I’d like to see a permanent deal, and I think it’s going to happen,’ Trump added.
The administration announced Tuesday that it has rescinded the order that created DACA, with a six-month ‘wind-down’ period to give Congress a chance to write it into law.
‘Congress, I really believe, wants to take care of this situation. I really believe it – even very conservative members of Congress. I’ve seen it firsthand,’ Trump told reporters Wednesday aboard Air Force One as it taxied for takeoff.
The president was leaving for North Dakota, where he will deliver the second in a series of speeches about his plans for an overhaul of America’s tax code.
Trump tweeted Tuesday night that he would ‘revisit this issue’ if Congress couldn’t act
Democratic lawmakers reacted with fury to the announcement Tuesday by Attorney General Jeff Sessions that the administration was rescinding DACA
He said the subject of DACA came up during a Wednesday morning meeting at the White House that included Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate.
‘Chuck and Nancy would like to see something happen, and so do I,’ he said, referring to minority leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
Trump deflected a question about providing a pathway to citizenship for the so-called ‘DREAMers,’ saying he’s focused first on finding a way for them to maintain ‘legal’ status.
The president inspired a Tuesday evening of head-scratching in Washington when, after a half-day of scathing news coverage, he tweeted that he was prepared to ‘revisit’ DACA on his own if Congress should fall short.
‘Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can’t, I will revisit this issue!’ he wrote on Twitter.
A day later, he was noncommittal.
‘Well, we’re going to see what happens. I want to see what happens in Congress,’ Trump said. ‘I have a feeling that’s not going to be necessary. I think they’re going to make a deal. I think Congress really wants to do this.’