Trump Demands Border Wall Funding For DACA Deal
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WASHINGTON D.C. (CBSMiami) -- President Trump is once again taking a hardline stance on immigration.
The White House sent Congress an immigration proposal saying any deal to protect DACA recipients must include funding for his border wall.
Democrats quickly opposed the plan saying it goes against the deal they struck with the President to protect so-called "Dreamers", immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, provides legal immigrant status to "Dreamers" – about 800,000 undocumented migrants protected by the program already living in the U.S.
Trump told Congress the DACA deal must include full funding for his border wall, a crackdown on sanctuary cities, impose new skills-based legal immigration criteria and speed up deportation procedures.
"For years, this country, including Capitol Hill and the swamp, they've always asked 'what more can we do for the illegal immigrant? What's fair for the illegal immigrant?' This president is asking, what's for America? What's fair to the American worker? What's fair to the American community?'" said Sr. White House Adviser Kellyanne Conway on Fox & Friends.
The President has long taken a hardline stance on immigration and many of his supporters view DACA as amnesty for illegal immigration.
However, the move appears to back off a deal the President struck with Democrats at a White House meeting last month.
Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi issued a joint response saying the proposal "goes far beyond what is reasonable. This proposal fails to represent any attempt at compromise," and they say funding for the wall "was explicitly ruled out of negotiations."
Democrats say they are willing to work with the White House to strengthen border security, including implementing new technology and hiring more border patrol agents.
Building a wall along the US - Mexican border is projected to cost 25-billion dollars.