House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said President Donald Trump’s immigration proposals ‘can’t be serious,’ adding that Democrats may withhold support of the end-of-year budget bill if ‘Dreamers’ are not protected by Congress. Similarly, Luis V. Gutierrez urged Democrats not to vote in support of the spending legislation which is to be passed in December, because he said “If we approve a budget which doesn’t include the Dream Act, then we’ve turned our back on our immigrant community and our principles.”
Pelosi also indicated she was intent on using every possible chance to strike a deal on young undocumented immigrants who are currently protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, to ensure they are granted legal status in the U.S.
So far, Democrats have not managed to get enough support by Republicans in forcing a vote on the legislation.
Pelosi dismissed Monday the policies proposed by the White House, which she considers too hard-line and a “complete non-starter.” Namely, the Trump administration is requesting the construction of a wall on the border between Mexico and the United States, as well as a reduction in the number of legal immigrants in the country and more resources to hire several thousand more immigration officers.
Last month, President Donald Trump met with Pelosi over dinner where they talked about a possible plan to protect DACA beneficiaries. After the White House proposal was introduced, Pelosi said it does not reflect what she and the president discussed.
“I do believe the president when he says he wants to protect the dreamers. I do not think what his staff put forward is in furtherance of that. In fact, it’s endangering them,” she said.
Democrats are unified in opposing the newly proposed immigration policies, dismissing them as “un-American.”
Be the first to comment