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Trump proposes wall-for-DACA in bid to end U.S. government shutdown


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Trump proposes wall-for-DACA in bid to end U.S. government shutdown

By Steve Holland and Jan Wolfe

 

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U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on the humanitarian crisis on the Southern border and the shutdown as Vice President Mike Pence looks on at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 19, 2019. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump proposed an immigration deal on Saturday in a bid to end a 29-day partial government shutdown, including temporary protections for "Dreamers" and other immigrants, but Democrats immediately dismissed it.

 

Giving no ground on his demand for $5.7 billion to fund a U.S.-Mexico border barrier as part of any bill to fully reopen the government, Trump's package sought to pile pressure on Democrats by appealing to immigrants they have tried to help.

 

In a speech from the White House, Trump offered three years of protections for the young undocumented immigrants known as "Dreamers," as well as for holders of temporary protected status (TPS), another class of immigrants to the United States.

 

Decrying what he called a "badly broken" U.S. immigration system, Trump said, "I am here today to break the logjam and provide Congress with a path forward to end the government shutdown and solve the crisis along the southern border."

 

But the protections he proposed fell far short of the path to citizenship for Dreamers that Democrats and some Republicans in Congress have been urging for years.

 

In a statement after Trump's speech, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell called the president's plan a "bold solution to reopen the government, secure the border, and take bipartisan steps towards addressing current immigration issues."

 

A spokesman for McConnell said he would seek Senate passage of the president's proposal next week.

 

Democrats insisted talks on border security occur only after the government is reopened. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said, "It was the president who singled-handedly took away DACA and TPS protections in the first place. Offering some protections back in exchange for the wall is not a compromise but more hostage taking."

 

Even before Trump spoke, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said his offer as reported in advance was "unacceptable," did not "represent a good-faith effort to restore certainty to people's lives," and was unlikely to gain the votes needed to pass the House or the Senate.

 

About a quarter of the U.S. government has been partially shut down since Dec. 22 due to a lack of funding that expired for reasons mostly unrelated to the border or immigration.

 

WORK WITH NO PAY

 

Some 800,000 federal workers have been staying home on furlough or working without pay.

 

The president has refused to consider legislation needed to fully reopen the government unless it includes $5.7 billion that he wants to help pay for a border wall or other barrier, which he says is needed to keep out illegal immigrants and drugs.

 

The full cost of such a barrier could eventually top $24 billion, according to some government estimates.

 

Trump also asked Congress for $782 million to hire an additional 2,750 border agents, law enforcement officers and staff, and another $563 million to hire 75 new immigration judge teams to reduce a backlog in immigration courts.

 

The Dreamers, mostly young Latinos, are protected from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme, which protects certain people who illegally entered the United States as children. It provides about 700,000 immigrants with work permits, but no path to citizenship.

 

Former Democratic President Barack Obama put DACA in place in 2012 through an executive order. Most Democrats since then have sought more lasting and stronger protection for the Dreamers. The Trump administration said in September 2017 it would rescind DACA, but it remains in effect under court order.

 

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is given to nationals from designated countries affected by armed conflict, natural disaster, or other strife. TPS holders are permitted to work and live in the United States for limited times.

 

The Trump administration has shown a deep scepticism towards the TPS programme and has moved to revoke the special status for immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras and other nations.

 

Polls showed Americans increasingly blame Trump for the shutdown, the 19th to occur since the mid-1970s. Most past shutdowns have been brief. The current one has had no impact on three-quarters of the government, including the Department of Defense, which has secure funding.

 

REUTERS: 2019-01-20

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45 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

In a speech from the White House, Trump offered three years of protections for the young undocumented immigrants known as "Dreamers," as well as for holders of temporary protected status (TPS), another class of immigrants to the United States.

 

45 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

But the protections he proposed fell far short of the path to citizenship for Dreamers that Democrats and some Republicans in Congress have been urging for years. 

 

45 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi said his offer as reported in advance was "unacceptable," did not "represent a good-faith effort to restore certainty to people's lives," and was unlikely to gain the votes needed to pass the House or the Senate.

 

According to the OP (Reuters), Trump is essentially offering next to nothing in exchange for a huge boondoggle (OP estimates around 24 billion USD).  Not a serious offer.

 

Meanwhile, many federal employees who just want to get back to a paying job are suffering due to Trump's stubborn wish to deliver on a wall that he had clearly stated he would get Mexico to pay for.  I think now would be a good time to get those Mexican pesos as promised by the US president. 

 

45 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

 

Some 800,000 federal workers have been staying home on furlough or working without pay. 

 

 

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Just now, Chomper Higgot said:

It’s what anyone observing hostage takers blaming others for putting his hostages at risk would say.

 

Well I guess all the DACA kids will take great comfort in your words. Meanwhile Pelosi could just compromise and this is all done and over. Oh well it's a real shame.

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1 minute ago, Cryingdick said:

 

Well I guess all the DACA kids will take great comfort in your words. Meanwhile Pelosi could just compromise and this is all done and over. Oh well it's a real shame.

They would take comfort if trump made their future secure instead of kicking the DACA ball down the road for the next administration to deal with.

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1 minute ago, Cryingdick said:

 

Well I guess all the DACA kids will take great comfort in your words. Meanwhile Pelosi could just compromise and this is all done and over. Oh well it's a real shame.

You're right.  However Pelosi can't compromise because her hatred of Trump won't let her.  It's all about the hate.  Pelosi and her followers hate Trump and really don't care about the country.

 

So, unless the haters can get over their hate and do what's right, the next step will be for Trump to declare an emergency and build the wall.  It has to be done.

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Just now, Cryingdick said:

 

Well I guess all the DACA kids will take great comfort in your words. Meanwhile Pelosi could just compromise and this is all done and over. Oh well it's a real shame.

Again, you turn your illiberal gaze away from Trump making kids and the paychecks of government workers hostage to his vanity wall project.

 

The man in the White House is acting like a thug.

 

And it’s all so unnecessary since Mexico is paying for the wall.

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4 minutes ago, sirineou said:

They would take comfort if trump made their future secure instead of kicking the DACA ball down the road for the next administration to deal with.

 

See? Either side is the exact same argument. They should make a deal right now. Pelosi could counter with make it permanent. It isn't that hard.

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1 minute ago, Cryingdick said:

 

Border walls in critical places are a rational policy.

Border wall at critical locations already exist. what we need is a proactive  technology to alert, and personal to react. walls are a low tech, passive solution that can and has being defeated through the ages. Just ask the Byzantines. 

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26 minutes ago, Carib said:

Using human beings as change.  :wacko:  What a statesman. Pfff

Really crappy salesmanship and poor negotiating techniques by Trump. He made a big deal (as usual) of an announcement, and we all thought he was going to either go nuts and call a national crisis (more his style), or put an offer on the table of substance that would make the Democrats look bad if they didn't accept.  He did neither. 

 

Instead he offered to give back what he had already taken away. Foolish waste of political capital, and piss poor negotiation technique. 

 

Amateur.

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4 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Border wall at critical locations already exist. what we need is a proactive  technology to alert, and personal to react. walls are a low tech, passive solution that can and has being defeated through the ages. Just ask the Byzantines. 

 

Okay keep the government shut then. Trump's plan was more comprehensive than just a wall. 

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1 minute ago, Cryingdick said:

 

Okay keep the government shut then. Trump's plan was more comprehensive than just a wall. 

 we don't keep the Government shut, trump is. He can open the government tomorrow if he wanted.

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1 minute ago, Cryingdick said:

 

Political suicide with out a deal which is exactly what you want. 

If he does not want to commit political suicide he should keep his trap closed!  You can't expect the country to pay for his big mouth.

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6 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

 

Okay keep the government shut then. Trump's plan was more comprehensive than just a wall. 

Trump could easily solve this impasse if he just rephrased what he wants to increased funding for increased comprehensive border security. But that wouldn't serve his purpose of inciting and inflaming his base.

 

A big beautiful impenetrable wall with his name on it to keep out brownies is the only political message he wants out there. 

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