GOP hopes for possible DACA deal; Trump sees obstacles

Bloomberg

Republican lawmakers held out hope that a deal can be reached allowing young undocumented immigrants to remain in the U.S., despite President Donald Trump saying the effort is “probably dead” amid growing tensions about keeping the government funded past Friday.

Trump told reporters on his way to a dinner Sunday evening that “I don’t know if there is going to be a shutdown” at the end of the week.

Heading to dinner at his Palm Beach, Florida, golf club with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California, Trump said that on immigration “we have a lot of sticking points but they are all Democrat sticking points,” adding “they don’t want security at the border.”

Trump escalated his rhetoric on immigration in a pair of early-morning Sunday Twitter messages that appeared to move further away from what just a few days ago seemed to be a potential deal with Democrats and moderate Republicans on legislation to continue the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

“DACA is probably dead because the Democrats don’t really want it, they just want to talk and take desperately needed money away from our Military,” Trump tweeted.

“I, as President, want people coming into our Country who are going to help us become strong and great again, people coming in through a system based on MERIT. No more Lotteries!” Trump said. His comments followed four tweets on the same topic on Saturday.