Trump amnesty for immigrants infuriates supporters

Republicans outraged as Democrats say they have struck deal with president over status of ‘Dreamers’

DONALD TRUMP sparked outrage among some of his staunchest supporters yesterday after appearing to strike a deal with the Democrats not to deport people who came to the US illegally as children, while at the same time failing to make funding for a border wall a condition of the agreement.

The president was accused by conservative Republicans of agreeing to an “amnesty” for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, known as “Dreamers”, and abandoning his commitment to construct a “beautiful wall” along the frontier with Mexico.

Amid allegations of U-turns on two of his major campaign pledges, there were suggestions from immigration hardliners that Mr Trump’s political base could “leave him,” while one high-profile supporter called for him to be impeached.

The backlash came after Mr Trump invited Chuck Schumer, the Democrat Senate leader, and Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat leader in the House of Representatives, to dinner at the White House on Wednesday night.

Most of the conversation was about Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) order, which gives legal protection to the Dreamers. During last year’s presidential campaign Mr Trump said that the Dreamers, who were brought across the border as infants by their parents, would “have to go”.

But in a statement after dinner, the Democrat leaders said: “We agreed 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.”

Instead of the wall, a border security package could include using technology such as drones, sensors and air support, they said.

Steve King, a Republican congressman, said: “The Trump base is blown up, destroyed, irreparable and disillusioned beyond repair. No promise is credible.”

Ann Coulter, the conservative author of the book In Trump We Trust, wrote: “At this point, who DOESN’T want Trump impeached? If we’re not getting a wall, I’d prefer President Pence.”

On Twitter, Mr Trump denied doing a deal with the Democrats. He wrote: “No deal was made last night on DACA.”

But as he visited Florida yesterday to survey the damage of Hurricane Irma the president said: “We’re working on a plan for the Dreamers. People want to see that happen… The wall will come later… Ultimately, we have to have the wall. The wall to me is vital.”

 Jeff Sessions offered his resignation as US Attorney General after being berated by Donald Trump, according to reports. Mr Sessions, one of Mr Trump’s staunchest supporters, was ready to quit after an angry clash with the president.

At one point Mr Trump demanded that Mr Sessions quit, but then turned down the Attorney General’s resignation when it was offered.