President Donald Trump again pressed Democratic lawmakers to compromise on an immigration deal as the March 5 deadline for DACA’s expiration rapidly approaches.
Negotiations on DACA have begun. Republicans want to make a deal and Democrats say they want to make a deal. Wouldn’t it be great if we could finally, after so many years, solve the DACA puzzle. This will be our last chance, there will never be another opportunity! March 5th.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 13, 2018
Trump tweeted as the U.S. senate prepares to open debate on immigration. Senator Mitch McConnell is reportedly giving lawmakers free reign to propose a bill which will garner the needed 60 votes, is passable by the House and eventually acceptable to President Trump.
Trump ended the Obama-era protections for illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children in September, citing their unconstitutionality. The president said lawmakers had 6 months to impose a legislative fix for the program and demanded that any solution included funding for a border wall, an end to chain migration, and an end to the diversity visa lottery program.
Trump has even offered his own legislative framework to Congress in recent weeks which includes his demands — $25 billion for border wall funding — in return for a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
Democratic legislative leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, however, have rejected the White House proposal outright, decrying its long term cuts to the immigration system and pledging not to allocate funds for a border wall. The president has repeatedly emphasized to Schumer and other democratic lawmakers that if there is no funding for a border wall then a legislative fix for the illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children is a non starter.