The Art of the Deal is at work on immigration. Weeks after President Trump met with Democratic leaders to discuss a legislative fix to the Obama-era DACA program, the Trump Administration has unveiled its proposal. The 70-point plan contains several items Trump campaigned on and has supported, including building a border wall, cracking down on sanctuary cities, and limiting chain migration. The White House says these items must be part of any legislation the President would sign to grant legal protections to the so-called "Dreamers," younger illegal aliens who were shielded from deportation via DACA.
Anti-illegal immigration advocates are reacting to the Trump plan. "Many of these very same proposals have already passed the House of Representatives, and have been sitting in the U.S. Senate on Mitch McConnell's desk waiting for a vote," says Jessica Vaughan with the Center for Immigration Studies. She tells KTRH that it's about time Congress got serious about addressing illegal immigration. "There have been so many high-profile issues that they've been working on--healthcare, tax reform, the budget--but really, if they don't get control of immigration policy and border security, none of that matters," says Vaughan.
The President's meeting with Democratic leaders and his subsequent statements in support of the "Dreamers" rankled some conservatives who accused Trump of selling out on illegal immigration. But Vaughan believes the White House is utilizing its only leverage in getting real border security and immigration enforcement through Congress. "If that's what it takes--an amnesty for people with DACA--to get a lot of these other needed improvements, then that's what should be done," she says. "The stars may be aligning for a deal to actually happen, and for Congress to get something done."