President Donald Trump says he’ll make a deal with Democrats to protect illegal immigrants, but the Supreme Court needs to strike down Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) first.
“Many of the people in DACA, no longer very young, are far from ‘angels.’ Some are very tough, hardened criminals,” Trump tweeted Tuesday. “President Obama said he had no legal right to sign order, but would anyway. If Supreme Court remedies with overturn, a deal will be made with Dems for them to stay!”
The landmark 2012 executive branch memorandum signed by Obama has shielded children brought to America illegally by their parents from deportation.
Many of the people in DACA, no longer very young, are far from “angels.” Some are very tough, hardened criminals. President Obama said he had no legal right to sign order, but would anyway. If Supreme Court remedies with overturn, a deal will be made with Dems for them to stay!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2019
Trump has called DACA a “disaster” that encourages people to smuggle children across the southern border. He has vowed to stymie violent crime carried out by illegal immigrants, especially in big cities, some of which have declared themselves “sanctuaries” for illegal immigrants from federal authorities.
Under DACA policy, immigrants who commit violent crimes lose their protected status and are subject to deportation. Congress has not passed comprehensive immigration legislation since the program was enacted.
Late last year and into early 2019, the federal government was shut down for more than a month as Trump fought with congressional Democrats for upgrades to border security, including more border wall.
The Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in Trump’s case to end DACA this week.
[Opinion: DACA is in trouble before the Supreme Court. Congress should step in]
