Many supporters of US President Donald Trump are reacting angrily at reports that the White House may have struck a deal with the minority Democrats to provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants brought into the US as minors.
On Wednesday, Trump dined with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California). Among the subjects that came up was the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which the administration recently announced would be wrapping up by March 2018.
Pelosi and Schumer said they agreed with Trump “to enshrine the protections of DACA into law quickly, and to work out a package of border security, excluding the wall, that’s acceptable to both sides.”
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said no such deal was made, and Trump himself tweeted to that effect. However, he also called DACA recipients “educated and accomplished young people” he wouldn’t want to kick out of the country.
“We’re talking about taking care of people… who were not brought here of their own volition,” Trump told reporters in Florida on Thursday, while touring the areas affected by Hurricane Irma. “We’re not looking at citizenship. We’re not looking at amnesty. We’re looking at allowing people to stay here.”
Those comments have incensed many of Trump’s supporters, who placed all their bets on his promise of the border wall and explicit refusal of amnesty for any illegal immigrants.
Trump is the “last president who will ever have a chance to make the right decision on immigration,” conservative pundit Ann Coulter wrote in her most recent column. If he fails, he will “go down in history as the man who killed America.”
Representative Steve King (R-Iowa) called the damage to Trump’s base “beyond repair.”
Mark Krikorian, head of the Center for Immigration Studies, said the only difference between Trump and Hillary Clinton at this point is that he waited a little longer before offering amnesty.
He that lieth down with Chuck and Nancy shall rise up with amnesty.
— Mark Krikorian (@MarkSKrikorian) September 14, 2017
Ah, so the difference is that while Hillary promised amnesty in the first 100 days, you’d wait til after 200 days. https://t.co/ME6B1aTa3t
— Mark Krikorian (@MarkSKrikorian) September 14, 2017
Others took issue with his characterization of DACA recipients, and pointed out that amnesty by any other name is still an amnesty.
The average age of DACA recipients is 23 and only 17% have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. Also, 21% have dropped out of high school. https://t.co/U40shfWMKz
— FAIR (@FAIRImmigration) September 14, 2017
Hey @realDonaldTrump, my child would have a better life in a mansion. If I just go squat with her in one of yours, you’ll let us stay right?
— Cassandra Fairbanks (@CassandraRules) September 14, 2017
I continued to support Trump after his 180 on Syria. But this is the last straw. As Bannon said, amnesty is non-negotiable. https://t.co/bNgTXHP74G
— ShadilayForever 🇺🇸 (@ShadilayForever) September 14, 2017
Fox News host Sean Hannity Fox Business host Lou Dobbs were also critical of Trump, who is reportedly a fan of their networks.
Web radio host Bill Mitchell, on the other hand, said that Trump’s talk about DACA is just a negotiating tactic and that people should have more faith. Mitchell will continue to stand by Trump, he said.
I stand with Trump 100%. #DACA is a negotiation and WHATEVER he chooses, I will back him because I elected his judgment.
Period.
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) September 14, 2017
Via RT. This piece was reprinted by RINF Alternative News with permission or license.