Jan. 19 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Saturday said he would offer protections to some illegal immigrants in exchange for $5.7 billion for a barrier along Mexico in what he billed as a “major announcement” from the White House.
In an effort to “break the logjam and provide a path to end the government shutdown and solve the crisis along the southern border” Trump said is backing three years of relief for 700,000 recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as Dreamers, allowing them access to work permits, Social Security numbers and protection from deportation. They were brought into the country illegally as children and now face deportation.
In addition he wants to extend the legal status of 300,000 Temporary Protected Status holders.
Trump, who called it “a compassionate response to our tragedy,” repeated proposals for $800 million for urgent humanitarian assistance, $805 million for drug detection technology, 2,750 new border agents and 25 new immigration judges.
And Central American minors can apply for asylum from their borders. His administration terminated this program shortly after becoming president.
In exchange, he wants the funding for several hundred miles of a barrier. Originally, he wanted a tall concrete won but now is in favor of steel with see-through slats. He also says a barrier is not needed along natural borders, including waterways.
“It’s a common-sense compromise both parties should embrace,” he said from the Diplomatic Reception Room. “The radical left will never control our borders.”
He noted Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would introduce the legislation in the Senate.
“I’ve met with Democrats,” Trump said during the short speech. “I hope they will offer their enthusiastic support. I think many will.”
However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the proposal was a “non-starter” in statement before the president’s speech.
“His proposal is a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable and in total, do not represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to people’s lives,” Pelosi said in a statement. “It is unlikely that any one of these provisions alone would pass the House, and taken together, they are a non-starter. For one thing, this proposal does not include the permanent solution for the Dreamers and TPS recipients that our country needs and supports.”
The Democrats regained control of the House in January after major gains in the mid-terms.
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, who co-sponsored the BRIDGE Act to help Dreamers, said in a statement Saturday that he would not support the proposal to reopen the government. He said he doesn’t believe there are enough votes in the Senate, which requires 60 for passage. The GOP has a 53-47 edge in the chamber.
Trump said he is fulfilling a campaign pledge to stop the illegal traffic of migrants, and his proposal is based on ideas from border agents and other professionals.
“They know what they are doing,” Trump said.
The president repeated claims of dangers without the barrier, included illegal immigrants killing U.S. citizens.
He spoke after swearing in five new U.S. citizens. The president described it as “a beautiful ceremony — a moving reminder of our proud history welcoming legal immigrants to our national family.”
He said Americans believe in “a safe and lawful process of immigration that protects our laws. Unfortunately our immigration system has been badly broken for a long time.
“We are now living with this consequence and it is tragic,” Trump said.
During a national address on Jan. 8, Trump discussed national security from the Oval Office, then traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border two days later. He described it as a “humanitarian and national security crisis on our Southern Border.” At the time he called on Democrats to support to wall and end the shutdown.
Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., appeared after his address and urged an end to the “Trump shutdown.”
On Saturday, Pelosi said next week Democrats will pass a package of six bills agreed to by House and Senate negotiators and other legislation to re-open government “so that we can fully negotiate on border security proposals.”
The federal government has been partially shut down since Dec. 21, largely due to a disagreement between Trump and Congress over the roughly $5.7 billion the president wants to construct a barrier along the U.S. border with Mexico.
Congressional Democrats don’t want any funding for the barrier and are refusing to negotiate while the government is shut down. Around 800,000 federal workers have been furloughed or working without pay since the shutdown began.
Trump added in a video later posted to his Twitter account Friday that he’s heard from Democrats who support his stance on the U.S.-Mexico border, but are “afraid to say it.”
“Take the politics out of it,” Trump said in the video. “Let’s get to work and let’s make a deal.”
Trump has considered declaring a national emergency, which would enable him to build the wall without congressional approval for funding. Democrats plan to go to court if he bypasses Congress in allocating funds or the barrier.
