President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was close to a deal with Democratic congressional leaders on protections for illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children, astounding fellow Republicans again while alarming conservative supporters, APA reports quoting Reuters.
Trump, who met with the top Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, at the White House on Wednesday evening, said any final agreement must include significant steps to protect border security including surveillance systems.
The president added that funding for his planned wall along the U.S.-Mexican border - a centerpiece of his 2016 presidential campaign - would “come later” and would not be part of any final deal on the fate of the 800,000 so-called Dreamers. But, speaking to reporters, he said Democrats “cannot obstruct the wall.”
“We have to have an understanding that whether it’s in the budget or some other vehicle in a very short period of time, the wall will be funded. Otherwise, we’re not doing anything,” Trump said as he landed in Florida to survey hurricane damage.
Schumer and Pelosi reiterated their opposition to the wall, and Democrats in the past have promised to block funding for it.
“I think we’re fairly close but we have to get massive border security,” Trump told reporters earlier in the day of a potential deal.
Trump also said Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell were both “on board” with the potential deal on immigration issues and that “we’re doing it in conjunction with the Republicans.”
The potential agreement was the latest development in the president’s newfound willingness to work with Democrats after Republicans, who control Congress, failed to deliver legislative victories on healthcare and other matters.
Trump rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program earlier this month but made that effective in March, giving lawmakers six months to come up with an alternative for the Dreamers. DACA, created by Trump’s Democratic predecessor Barack Obama, shields the Dreamers, mostly Hispanic young adults, from deportation and provides work permits.
McConnell and Ryan, both of whom have had a tense relationship with Trump, made comments that suggested they might not be on board, as the president said.
“There is no agreement,” Ryan told reporters about DACA.
“I think the president understands that he’s got to work the congressional majority,” he told reporters, referring to Republicans, adding that “we have not begun negotiations” although he expected a compromise to be reached.
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