Trump offers hope to Dreamer immigrants fearing deportation

DONALD TRUMP has said he is open to providing a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants who were brought to the US as children.

In what amounted to a major shift from his campaign rhetoric on immigration, the US president said he would require, in return, that Congress approve $25 billion (£17 billion) funding for his proposed border wall and other security measures. Last night, Congress was presented with a White House plan on immigration reform, which would offer a path to citizenship for the 1.8million undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children, known as the Dreamers.

In return for their citizenship – a key demand from Democrats – the White House has requested the $25billion for border security, including the wall along the border with Mexico. It also eliminates the visa lottery and ends socalled “chain migration” – the practice of green card holders being allowed to bring their extended families to the US.

Mr Trump said in Washington shortly before leaving for the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos: “We’re going to morph into it. It’s going to happen, at some point in the future, over a period of 10 to 12 years. Tell them [the Dreamers] not to be concerned, OK? Tell ’em not to worry. We’re going to solve the problem.”

Immediately after he left, a senior White House official stressed that the idea of a pathway to citizenship for the Dreamers was just a “discussion point” in a plan that would be put to Congress next week.

The Dreamers were protected from deportation, and given the right to work legally, under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme. When Mr Trump campaigned for president in 2016 he pledged to bring in tougher rules for immigration, including scrapping DACA.

In September, he announced he was ending DACA, but gave Congress until March to come up with another plan to protect the Dreamers.

John Kelly, Mr Trump’s chief of staff, stayed in Washington during the Davos trip to work on the latest attempt at a deal with Congress, and Mr Trump said he hoped that it could be thrashed out by the time he returns.

Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator who has been prominent in immigration negotiations, said Mr Trump’s latest comments signalled a major breakthrough.

Mr Graham said: “With this strong statement by president Trump, I have never felt better about our chances of finding a solution on immigration.”