Trump’s New Immigration Proposal Could Go Further Than 2018 DACA Deal
President Donald Trump told CBS News he wants to work with Democrats on immigration reform. This comes after his party lost seats in the midterm elections. The plan could offer a path to citizenship for millions of people. It would go much further than the deal he tried to make in 2018.
Trump said he is open to working with the new Democrat majority. He made this comment in his first post-election interview on “60 Minutes.” When asked if enforcement hurt him, he said it both helped and hurt. The President is now a lame duck with only two years left in office. He joked that he would be willing to do things differently now.
The old plan from his first term was called the “Framework on Immigration Reform and Border Security.” It only covered people brought into the country as children. That proposal would have helped 1.8 million people stay in the U.S. It included roughly 700,000 people protected by the Obama-era DACA program. The 2012 DACA program gave temporary protection but no way to stay forever.
Trump now says he is willing to go significantly further this time around. He is talking about a deal for illegal immigrants who have lived here for 10 or 15 years. Andrew Arthur, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, recounted the details of the old plan. He noted that the 2012 program did not provide a way to permanently remain.
There is a clear difference in focus within the White House. A senior administration official told the Washington Examiner that Trump focuses on securing deals. However, his new chief of staff Stephen Miller focuses on “America First” principles. The official said in a phone call, “It doesn’t seem consistent with [Miller’s views].”
According to reports, a senior fellow for the American Immigration Council, Trump is “more liberal on immigration than the person he’s given total control over the issue: Stephen Miller.” Reichlin-Melnick added, “Innately, he has this ‘art of the deal’ that’s always playing in the background.” This suggests the President might prioritize a business deal over strict policy.
The shift comes after a tough election for Republicans. In the House, Democrats secured at least 254 seats, while the Senate saw 54. Before the election, media reports said ICE arrests soared as people with no criminal record were targeted. The New York Times published a headline stating “ICE arrests soar as people with no criminal record are increasingly targeted.”
Early in the administration, NPR reported that ICE targeted “migrants in the U.S. who have no criminal records.” Axios also reported that millions of “undocumented” immigrants “have no criminal backgrounds.” This messaging helped Democrats campaign on cutting back enforcement. Trump is now responding to that political reality by seeking a new agreement.