Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said on Monday that President Trump’s immigration reform goal is to deport illegal immigrants who were previously protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
“Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski asked Durbin what he thought of Trump’s speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference Friday, specifically the portions on immigration reform.
“We thought that the president’s main goal was to build a wall from sea to shining sea, a 19th century answer to a 21st century problem,” Durbin said. “It turns out his goal is the deportation of Dreamers.”
DACA recipients, although no longer protected under a program initiated by former President Barack Obama, are not actively being pursued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other immigration officials.
“He wants to see these young people – who have been raised in America, have proven themselves in America, and want to be part of our future – to leave and their parents with them,” Durbin said.
Trump has rejected the idea that he is looking to deport Dreamers, and tweeted over the weekend that it’s Democrats who don’t want to do a deal to protect them in return for tougher border security.
“Dems are no longer talking DACA! ‘Out of sight, out of mind,’ they say. DACA beneficiaries should not be happy. Nancy Pelosi truly doesn’t care about them. Republicans stand ready to make a deal!”
Dems are no longer talking DACA! “Out of sight, out of mind,” they say. DACA beneficiaries should not be happy. Nancy Pelosi truly doesn’t care about them. Republicans stand ready to make a deal!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2018
The White House said a new Harvard-Harris poll reveals that the majority of Americans, including one in five Democratic voters, don’t think Democratic lawmakers want to find a legislative solution for DACA.
Instead, the White House said, the poll found that people think the Democratic congressional members just want to use the issue as a midterm election talking point.
According to the poll, 65 percent of voters would support a DACA deal that secured the southern border, ends chain migration, and eliminates the visa lottery, a legislative solution proposed by Republicans, but rejected by Democrats like Durbin.
