President Donald Trump Thursday denied that he had cut a deal with senior Democrats to protect undocumented immigrants, saying he won’t drop his plans to build a wall along the Mexican border.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York had put out a statement last night saying that they had “agreed to enshrine the protections of DACA into law quickly, and to work out a package of border security, excluding the wall, that’s acceptable to both sides.”
The statement had initially been seen as another initiative by Trump to bypass his own party, who broadly take a harder line on immigration issues, and seek to settle the status of those affected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program on a bipartisan basis. Trump had stunned many in Washington by pursuing a similar approach to advance his plans for tax reform last week.
Read: Everything to Know About DACA as the Trump Administration Tries to Shut It Down
However, the President’s morning tweetstorm suggested that Schumer and Pelosi had either spoken too soon, stretched the truth, or just misunderstood him.
“No deal was made last night on DACA. Massive border security would have to be agreed to in exchange for consent. Would be subject to vote,” Trump said in his first tweet of the day, immediately following up with: “The WALL, which is already under construction in the form of new renovation of old and existing fences and walls, will continue to be built.”
No deal was made last night on DACA. Massive border security would have to be agreed to in exchange for consent. Would be subject to vote.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017
The WALL, which is already under construction in the form of new renovation of old and existing fences and walls, will continue to be built.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017
Trump had instructed Congress last week to work out within six months a solution for regulating the status of some 800,000 people currently protected by the DACA program. Trump is abolishing it in its current form because he argues that former president Barack Obama exceeded his authority in creating it. The announcement triggered dismay and anger from many businesses across the country. Microsoft and others publicly offered the full support of their legal departments to defend the ‘Dreamers’ they employ.
Trump’s tweets Thursday morning went on to acknowledge many of the points made by defenders of the program.
“Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!……They have been in our country for many years through no fault of their own – brought in by parents at young age. Plus BIG border security”
Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017
…They have been in our country for many years through no fault of their own – brought in by parents at young age. Plus BIG border security
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017