Democratic Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva said he refused to vote for a bill to protect DACA recipients because it involved a “quid pro quo” for a border wall.
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments for a case related to President Trump’s attempt to overturn protections for DACA recipients on Tuesday. DACA, or Deferred Access for Childhood Arrivals, was a program under President Barack Obama that offered legal status to illegal immigrants who arrived in the United States as young children.
In a press conference with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Grijalva urged the courts to rule in favor of DACA recipients. Part of his argument as to why the court should uphold DACA protections was that the policy had not become law due to inaction in the Senate.
“This House of Representatives passed the DREAM Act and because the Senate is preoccupied defending the indefensible, which is Trump, nothing is moving on that, as well,” Grijalva said.
He explained that Trump had offered to support the legislation, so long as funding for the border wall was included. Grijalva said he refused to vote for Trump’s “quid pro quo.”
“We had an opportunity [to pass legislation] earlier, but the president decided to interject his quid pro quo,” said Grijalva. “He said, ‘Give me a wall, and I’ll do something for the Dreamers.’ And that was a trade that advocates, the Dreamer organizations, and my colleagues behind me felt was not in the best interest of anybody.”
Prior to the partial government shutdown in 2018, Trump offered protections for DACA recipients in return for funding for a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, but Democrats refused, and Trump left it to the courts to decide the future of DACA.
The term “quid pro quo” has dogged Trump for the past few months as Democrats push impeachment in the House over his conversations with Ukrainian leaders.
