President Donald Trump will huddle with immigration policy leaders from the Republican and Democratic party Tuesday morning in an attempt to forge an agreement on the future of the DACA program.
He is meeting with the following members:
- Sen. Michael Bennet, D-CO
Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-AR
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-AZ
Sen. Cory Gardner, R-CO
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-IA
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-ND
Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-HI
Sen. James Lankford, R-OK
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-NJ
Sen. David Perdue, R-GA
Sen. Jon Tester, D-MT
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC
Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-TX
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-FL
Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-VA
Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-MD
Rep. Raul Labrador, R-ID
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-CA
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-TX
Rep. Martha McSally, R-AZ
Rep. Bennie Thomson, D-MS
White House chief of staff John Kelly, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, senior policy adviser Stephen Miller and director of legislative affairs Marc Short are also expected to attend.
The meeting takes place as the January 19 deadline on a spending bill to fund the federal government fast approaches. Trump has insisted any bill legalizing the Obama-era protections for illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children must be accompanied by border wall funding, an end to chain migration, and an end to the diversity visa lottery program.
The Democrats have been told, and fully understand, that there can be no DACA without the desperately needed WALL at the Southern Border and an END to the horrible Chain Migration & ridiculous Lottery System of Immigration etc. We must protect our Country at all cost!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2017
Trump ended the Obama-era protections in September, extending the program until March 2017, leaving it to Congress to forge a permanent solution for the nearly 700,000 illegals. Several congressional coalitions are working towards a DACA solution but democratic leaders have yet to signal broader willingness to accept any of Trump’s demands.
Trump will request Congress appropriate approximately $18 billion to begin construction on the wall, attempting to fulfill a core campaign issue. The proposed wall will install fencing on 316 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border and bolster security along the other 407 miles. The $18 billion appropriation will also go towards hiring more border security agents.
Democrats have indicated they fight the border wall funding and lack of DACA deal by filibustering any spending bill in the U.S. senate and possibly even shutting down the government.