President Trump appeared to kill the prospect of making a deal on the Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals program as a caravan of thousands of migrant workers make their way through Mexico toward the U.S.
Trump, after wishing the country a happy Easter holiday, tweeted a plea to Republican senators to change the rules of the upper chamber to pass tough new immigration laws.
“Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. ‘Caravans’ coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL!” Trump tweeted.
Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. “Caravans” coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018
The nuclear option is a term used to describe a rule change that ends the 60-vote requirement to end debate on a measure. In the last several years, the Senate has ended the 60-vote requirement for judicial nominations — including Supreme Court justices — and Cabinet appointments.
However, the measure remains in place for legislative proposals.
Trump has been needling Democrats over DACA for months after having Attorney General Jeff Sessions announce in September the program would end in six months. Court decisions stopped DACA from ending on March 5, as was originally planned, but Trump is still largely blaming Democrats for the failure to reach a legislative agreement on the program.
The DACA program allows people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children by their parents to be protected from deportation.
Democrats contend that congressional negotiators have offered Trump multiple deals that would fund his border wall in exchange for a path to citizenship for DACA recipients. All of those deals have been shot down by the White House, they argue.
The tweet comes as reports have surfaced of thousands of migrant workers from Central America — mostly Honduras — walking through Mexico toward the American border. The migrants hope to gain access to the U.S. on an asylum claim or cross illegally into the country, according to reports.
In November, the Trump administration said it would end the asylum program for Honduran immigrants in six months.
Trump later drew a direct line from DACA to the caravan.
“These big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act!” he tweeted.
These big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018
