Trump dismisses ‘Dreamers’ deal

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan immigration proposal surfaced Monday in the Senate, only to be quickly knocked down by President Trump.

Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said they were proposing legislation that would provide a pathway to legal status — potentially including citizenship — for immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally as children, known as “Dreamers.” It would also require the government to strengthen border security by 2020, but stops short of specifically providing the $25 billion Trump wants for a U.S.-Mexico border wall.

“Any deal on DACA that does not include STRONG border security and the desperately needed WALL is a total waste of time. March 5th is rapidly approaching and the Dems seem not to care about DACA. Make a deal!” Trump tweeted.

The “Dreamers” have been protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, created by former President Barack Obama. Trump has said he’s terminating the program but given Congress until March 5 to renew it, though a federal judge’s temporary order preserving DACA has left that deadline’s impact murky.

Trump has proposed offering a route to citizenship for up to 1.8 million young immigrants. He would also limit legal immigration by reducing the relatives they can sponsor for citizenship and eliminating a lottery that provides visas to people from diverse places. Coons said Trump’s push to limit legal immigration based on families is the “most divisive and difficult” of his proposals.