Politics
19:29, 30-Dec-2017
US president demands border wall funding for immigration fix
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US President Donald Trump says he will grant legal protection to childhood immigrants only in exchange for Democratic support for border security measures, including building a wall on the border with Mexico.
Trump tweeted his latest position on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which has helped 700,000 immigrants, brought to the US illegally as children, get legal status, work permits and driving licences.
"The Democrats have been told, and fully understand, that there can be no DACA without the desperately needed WALL at the Southern Border and an END to the horrible Chain Migration & ridiculous Lottery System of Immigration etc," the president tweeted on Friday.
Trump's Twitter screenshot
Trump's Twitter screenshot
The Trump administration terminated the DACA program and asked Congress to work out a long-term solution before March 5.
Building a border wall was a major promise Trump made during his presidential campaign and he has continued to press for it publicly since taking office.
He has also called for an overhaul of the current immigration system by ending the diversity visa lottery program and chain migration while introducing a merit-based immigration system.
Democrats, who have pushed for the DACA program to continue, have faced criticism from immigration activists and progressive groups for not demanding legislative protection for the recipients, often called "Dreamers," in the year-end bill, to fund the government.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi previously promised not to leave Washington for the holidays without a DACA fix.
The White House said Friday that it was set to kick off talks next week with Republican and Democratic congressional leaders on immigration policy, among other things.
The debate on immigration will be a critical issue ahead of midterm congressional elections slated for next November.
(With inputs from Xinhua)
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