Keep the dream alive

Don’t let DACA fall victim to politics

This deal is not hard. Democrats want to preserve an Obama-era protection for illegal immigrants who were brought to this country when they were children.

President Donald Trump wants to deliver on immigration-related campaign promises from 2016 — tougher policies to stem illegal immigration in general and a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border specifically.

But instead of reaching a straightforward deal that benefits both sides, congressional Democrats and the Trump administration have been locked in a stalemate, leaving the so-called Dreamers hostage in an epic failure of political clarity, will and competence.

President Barack Obama created Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals in 2012. The program to protect people from deportation if they were brought to the United States illegally as minors officially ended when Mr. Trump curtailed it last year.

Congress took up the issue during spending bill negotiations late last year. Democrats were willing to support $25 billion in funding for Mr. Trump’s border wall in exchange for protections for the 1.8 million people who could qualify as Dreamers. The negotiations broke down over other border enforcement efforts and the number of Dreamers covered, as well as how the path to citizenship would be structured.

Instead of $25 billion for the wall, the president got $1.6 billion.

What really happened is that each side — the president and the Democrats — began to worry about straying too far from the base.

So the issue has been at a stalemate as lawsuits work their way through the courts and both Democrats and Republicans prepare for midterm elections. But that was interrupted last weekend when Mr. Trump turned his attention once again to the stalled negotiations.

In an Easter Twitter flurry, Mr. Trump declared in all caps “NO MORE DACA DEAL.”

He declared that the Democrats had blown their chance at a bargain and signaled that instead of returning to the discussion, he was inclined to crack down on immigration in a variety of ways.

Mr. Trump is right. The Democrats have blown it. So has he.

But who can doubt that the president will still deal if the Democrats are willing? Both sides should go back to the original deal — and keep it to the simple contours of the original Grand Bargain. Sen. Jeff Flake, and many others, articulated it weeks ago: Give the president his wall in exchange for DACA — but all the Dreamers would have to be covered, all 1.8 million. And the wall would have to get all the $25 billion in funding.

If our leaders cannot reach a compromise to help the Dreamers, then just what they do?

This is not rocket science: There is political and moral consensus. Polls show strong public support for protecting immigrants who find themselves on the wrong side of the law through no fault of their own. The Solomonic solution is obvious. The paralysis on this straightforward issue is inexcusable.

What’s missing are those three key political attributes: will, clarity and competence.

The irony is that, as both sides posture for the midterms, they are not only letting down the Dreamers but also alienating voters, who may punish all incumbents.

If this deal really never gets done, such a punishment would not be unjust.