Donald Trump: No border wall means no Dreamers immigration program
US President Donald Trump has made the future of the Dreamers program conditional on the funding for the US-Mexico border wall. He tweeted, "That there can be no Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) without the desperately needed WALL at the Southern Border." Trump had earlier scrapped DACA or the 'Dreamers program' and left it to Congress to legalize it. Here's more about it.
Trump: 'We must protect our country at all costs'
What is DACA?
The DACA program intends to protect youth under 30, termed "Dreamers" from deportation. Under the program, the selected applicants are provided study or work permits after the FBI thoroughly verifies their personal information. In return, the US government defers action based on their immigration status for two years. At least 800,000 Dreamers, mostly from Latin America and Mexico are currently under DACA protection.
DACA and the wall: Two pillars of Trump's immigration policy
A stricter approach towards immigration was one of Trump's key campaign pitches. The number of deportations has increased since he assumed power. The construction of the US-Mexico border wall meant to keep illegal immigrants out was also one of his signature policy moves. In September 2017, he announced the termination of DACA, the Obama-era policy meant to protect undocumented immigrant youth.
What next?
Congress has so far refused to fund the construction of the wall which is estimated to cost $22 billion. Democrats have already rejected proposals backed by the White House and Republicans to construct the wall to bolster border-patrol and end chain-migration. Moreover, DACA enjoys bipartisan support within Congress. The administration is unlikely to move for the complete termination of DACA and invite public outrage.
