President Donald Trump defended the decision to end the DACA program protecting roughly 800,000 people from deportation in a written statement sent out by the White House about an hour after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced it.
Sessions announced Tuesday that the administration was rescinding the program, which protects from deportation people brought here as children illegally by their parents, in a press conference.
After reading a detailed statement at 11 am Easter Time at the Justice Department, Sessions walked out of the briefing room where reporters and TV cameras were gathered.
‘Thank you,’ he said, raising his hand to waive to the cameras before walking off.
President Donald Trump defended the decision to end the DACA program in a written statement
About an hour later, the White House issued a lengthy statement from President Trump explaining the arguments for the decision. Trump had not planned press events, although Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was to face the media on his behalf Tuesday afternoon.
Having the president step back from the announcement could allow him to gain some separation from a decision he has wrestled with for months, and potentially provide maneuvering room should Congress actually produce a legislative product.
Critics blasting the decision nevertheless focused squarely on Trump, with protesters getting arrested outside his Trump Tower residence and opponents aiming their barbs at him.
‘Trump’s cowardice is on full display today. His cruelty must not stand! #ProtectDREAMers,’ wrote House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California on Twitter.
Jeff Sessions makes announcement on DACA decision in a speech carried live by cable networks
Trump wrote in the statement: ‘As President, my highest duty is to defend the American people and the Constitution of the United States of America. At the same time, I do not favor punishing children, most of whom are now adults, for the actions of their parents.’
He continued: ‘But we must also recognize that we are nation of opportunity because we are a nation of laws.’
Trump said President Barack Obama’s order ‘bypassed Congress to give work permits, social security numbers, and federal benefits to approximately 800,000 illegal immigrants currently between the ages of 15 and 36. The typical recipients of this executive amnesty, known as DACA, are in their twenties. Legislation offering these same benefits had been introduced in Congress on numerous occasions and rejected each time.’
Attorney General Jeff Sessions says the Trump administration will ‘wind down’ an Obama-era program that allows illegal immigrants who arrived as children to live and work in the US without fear of deportation
Trump referenced a lawsuit brought by states suing over the program, ‘requiring my Administration to make a decision regarding its legality.’
He said Sessions and many state attorneys general ‘advised that the program is unlawful and unconstitutional and cannot be successfully defended in court.’
‘There can be no path to principled immigration reform if the executive branch is able to rewrite or nullify federal laws at will.’
Trump also tried to rekindle the possibility of ‘comprehensive’ immigration reform, although such efforts have collapsed in the past.
‘Congress now has the opportunity to advance responsible immigration reform that puts American jobs and American security first. We are facing the symptom of a larger problem, illegal immigration, along with the many other chronic immigration problems Washington has left unsolved,’ Trump said.
Activists asked Trump not to end DACA during a protest Monday outside the White House
‘We must reform our green card system, which now favors low-skilled immigration and puts immense strain on U.S. taxpayers. We must base future immigration on merit – we want those coming into the country to be able to support themselves financially, to contribute to our economy, and to love our country and the values it stands for. Under a merit-based system, citizens will enjoy higher employment, rising wages, and a stronger middle class,’ he continued, mentioning immigration concepts he pitched on the campaign trail.
‘I look forward to working with Republicans and Democrats in Congress to finally address all of these issues in a manner that puts the hardworking citizens of our country first,’ Trump said in the statement.
Trump called for ‘heart’ and compassion – but said it should also be applied to the group he calls ‘forgotten Americans.’
‘As I’ve said before, we will resolve the DACA issue with heart and compassion – but through the lawful Democratic process – while at the same time ensuring that any immigration reform we adopt provides enduring benefits for the American citizens we were elected to serve. We must also have heart and compassion for unemployed, struggling, and forgotten Americans,’ he said.