Immigration Reform News 2017: Trump Says He Will Support DACA If Congress Supports His Wall
Compromise is what President Donald Trump wants with regards to his immigration policy. The president said that he is willing to support DACA if Congress funds a border wall as well as his other proposals for immigration reform.
Last Sunday, Trump shared his legislative proposal to Congress meant to address the issue of illegal immigration in the country. His new plan involved using the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA as a bargaining chip to bring his plans for immigration reform into fruition.
The act, which spares young adults brought illegally to the United States from being deported, was put in place under President Obama and has allowed about 800,000 beneficiaries, known as Dreamers, to live and work in the U.S. on renewable authorizations. However, the president's promise to unwind the plan has been a point of contention.
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Now President Trump's new proposal offers renewed hope for the Dreamers, but also comes at a steep price, literally. In his new proposal, Trump says he is willing to support a new law in place of DACA in exchange for Congress approving the construction of a border wall and supporting his other proposals for immigration reform, including harsher penalties for people who enter the country illegally.
Needless to say, this was met with outrage on Capitol Hill and is also expected to upset the tech giants. Apple and Microsoft even led a number of tech giants in promising legal aid to workers facing the risk of deportation.
"The Administration can't be serious about compromise or helping the Dreamers if they begin with a list that is anathema to the Dreamers, to the immigrant community and to the vast majority of Americans," said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and her Senate counterpart, Chuck Schumer, in a joint statement.
However, the Trump administration stands firm on its promise to overhaul immigration in the United States, and as this case shows, even using legislation aimed at helping immigrants as a bargaining chip is a fair game.
