Civic Register
| 10.9.17

Trump Administration Presents Lawmakers With A List of Conditions for Protecting Dreamers

Join us and tell your reps how you feel!

What’s the story?

When President Trump rescinded protections for young immigrants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, he also promised to do whatever he could to protect the so-called ‘Dreamers’ if Congress could draft legislation.

On Sunday the administration provided lawmakers with a list of conditions they demand in order to support that legislation; conditions which are angering Democrats and thrilling hard line anti-immigration proponents.

Why does it matter?

Soon after ending the DACA program, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) were reported to have begun to negotiate a deal with President Trump to protect the Dreamers. The two were positive that a deal including many Democratic concerns would be accomplished, but the latest list of demands appears to have stymied negotiations.

Politico reports that Schumer and Pelosi released a statement Sunday condemning the list of conditions:

"The administration can't be serious about compromise or helping the Dreamers if they begin with a list that is anathema to the Dreamers, to the immigrant community and to the vast majority of Americans. The list includes the wall, which was explicitly ruled out of the negotiations. If the president was serious about protecting the Dreamers, his staff has not made a good faith effort to do so."

What is on that list in addition to funding for the border wall? Here are the highlights:

  • Stop U.S. legal residents from sponsoring family members for immigration other than spouses and children.

  • Prevent immigrants from claiming political asylum in immigration applications.

  • Increase border patrol and immigration enforcement staffing, including 10,000 new border patrol agents, 370 immigration judges, 1,000 ICE attorneys and 300 federal prosecutors.

  • Remove protections from deportation for "unaccompanied minors" from Central American children, as well as those from more distant countries.

  • Full funding of the southern border wall.

  • Increased northern border security.

  • Discourage illegal re-entry by enhancing penalties and expanding categories of inadmissibility.

  • Tighten immigration laws to keep sanctuary cities from avoiding aiding federal immigration efforts.

  • Curb federal grants to sanctuary cities.

  • Encourage merit-based immigration by creating a points-based system for green card applicants

  • Eliminate the diversity visa lottery, which brings 50,000 visa applicants to the U.S. annually who have no pre-existing ties in the country.

  • Require employers to use E-Verify, a workplace verification system.

What do you think?

Is this a reasonable list of conditions for consideration when crafting legislation to protect Dreamers or not? Are there some conditions you support and not others? Should Dreamer protections not be tied to restricting immigration from other groups?

Tell us in the comments what you think, then use the Take Action button to tell your reps!

— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: Pixaby / Creative Commons )

RELATED READING:

Trump lists demands on immigration in exchange for DACA — ABC News

Trump administration releases hard-line immigration principles, threatening deal on ‘dreamers’ — Washington Post

Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi won't talk immigration with Trump: Proposal 'goes so far beyond what is reasonable'— Washington Examiner