Pres. Trump announced today that he'd be willing to support legislation that trades amnesty for DACA recipients and illegal aliens who have received temporary protected status (TPS) in exchange for $5.7 billion of border wall funding. The offer also would have to include additional funding for more border patrol agents and immigration judges to handle the backlog of immigration cases.
Notably, Pres. Trump's offer fails to include any of the badly needed reforms to close the loopholes for asylum seekers and unaccompanied alien minors who are apprehended crossing the border illegally.
In response to Pres. Trump's announcement, NumbersUSA President and founder, Roy Beck, issued the following release:
The offer the President announced today is a loser for the forgotten American workers who were central to his campaign promises. An amnesty-for-wall trade would once again reward previous immigration lawbreakers without preventing future immigration lawbreakers. This kind of amnesty deal will incentivize more caravans, more illegal border crossers and more visa overstayers at the expense of the most vulnerable American workers who have to compete with the illegal labor force.
The President's full proposal includes:
- $5.7 billion to fund a steel barrier system, including embedded investments in technology and roads, on our southern border in the priority areas cited by Border Patrol.
- This is in addition to the more than 115 miles of barriers already built, replaced, or contracted under President Trump.
- $805 million for technology, canines, and personnel to help stop the flow of illegal drugs, weapons and other contraband. This includes:
- $675 million for drug detection inspection technology to help secure our ports of entry.
- $130 million for canine units, training, personnel and portable scanners to help deter and detect smuggled narcotics, weapons, and other dangerous materials.
- $800 million dollars in humanitarian assistance, medical support, and new temporary housing.
- $782 million to hire an additional 2,750 border agents, law enforcement officers, and staff.
- $563 million to support our immigration court system, including hiring 75 new immigration judge teams to reduce the immigration court backlog of 800,000 cases.
As part of President Trump’s willingness to compromise to reopen the Government, he is proposing to grant provisional status to current Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients.
- Provisional status will be granted for three years for current DACA recipients, covering 700,000 illegal immigrants brought here by their parents at a young age.
- This status will give them access to work permits, social security numbers, and protection from deportation.
- Provisional status will be granted to certain current TPS recipients for three years, providing 300,000 immigrants whose protected status is facing expiration more certainty as Congress works on a larger immigration deal.
