Trump has 'great love' for Dreamers, but says he'll put 'hardworking citizens' first
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President Trump said Tuesday he has “great love” for the so-called Dreamers affected by his administration’s decision to end a program giving illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. at a young age a reprieve from deportation.
But the president also emphasized in a tweet shortly after he made those comments that he wants lawmakers to put the “hardworking citizens of our country” first when crafting immigration legislation.
"I have a great heart for these folks we're talking about,” Trump told reporters, when asked about Tuesday’s announcement to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program.
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Late Tuesday, Trump tweeted again about the program, vowing to "revisit this issue" in six months if Congress can't "legalize DACA."
The administration argues then-President Obama didn’t have the authority to enact the policy in 2012. Trump is asking Congress to take up the issue.
“I have a love for these people and hopefully now Congress will be able to help them and do it properly,” he said.
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Not long after he made those comments, at the beginning of a meeting at the White House with top Republicans on tax policy, the president tweeted that he wants any legislative fix to make citizens the priority.
“I look forward to working w/ D's + R's in Congress to address immigration reform in a way that puts hardworking citizens of our country 1st,” the president said.
Earlier Tuesday, the president portayed the approach as the least disruptive option.
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“This is a gradual process, not a sudden phaseout,” he said. “Permits will not begin to expire for another six months, and will remain active for up to 24 months. Thus, in effect, I am not going to just cut DACA off, but rather provide a window of opportunity for Congress to finally act.”
OBAMA: TARGETING DREAMERS IS ‘WRONG AND CRUEL’
But Democrats, like Obama, have accused the president of being “cruel” with his announcement.
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"To target these young people is wrong – because they have done nothing wrong," Obama said in a statement. "It is self-defeating – because they want to start new businesses, staff our labs, serve in our military, and otherwise contribute to the country we love. And it is cruel.”