No art behind deal to save Dreamers

If there really is such a thing as an “art of the deal,” this one has the mastery of a canvas bearing dogs playing poker.

President Donald Trump’s signature pledge is to build a “big, beautiful wall” along the southern border of the United States to stem illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

Building such a barricade is as realistic as, well, dogs playing poker, but it remains the Thoroughbred in horse trading between Republicans and Democrats over whether some 800,000 people will be booted to the other side of the border.

That figure represents the number of citizens who were brought to the nation illegally as children by undocumented parents. That’s more people than reside in Washington, D.C.

Here in Connecticut, that translates to about 8,000 residents (roughly the population of Easton). They serve you coffee; they sit next to your kid in school; they protect you as members of the armed forces.

They were put on notice last fall when Trump put a halt to former President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) order of 2012.

U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy of Connecticut are among the Democrats trying to construct a wall of their own to shield so-called Dreamers from being deported. They opposed the deal to extend the federal budget because it lacks a reprieve for these immigrants.

Blumenthal deemed Trump’s decision “heartless and brainless” back in September. To continue “The Wizard of Oz” analogy, it lacks courage of conviction as well. Some Trump loyalists will recognize a retreat regarding immigrants as a sellout.

Not all of them, apparently. Jim Campbell, a Westport real estate executive and former head of the Greenwich Republican Town Committee, reasoned that “If it’s DACA in exchange for border security, that’s a logical deal.”

Just last week, the president pronounced via Twitter that “Democrats are doing nothing for DACA — just interested in politics. DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start ‘falling

Back in September, Blumenthal deemed Trump’s decision “heartless and brainless.” To continue “The Wizard of Oz” analogy, it lacks courage of conviction as well.

in love’ with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS.”

Yes, the president is apparently reasoning that the Dreamers and their defenders will rally to his side because he will grant them some form of amnesty in exchange for a few bricks in the wall.

There’s nothing wrong with enhancing border security, and we’re sure any progress made toward that goal will be trumpeted by the president. But Mexico will not contribute toward the cause. The wall will never be built as promised. Those 800,000 immigrants will never be escorted out of the country as an entity.

It’s cruel to contemplate giving people their lives back in exchange for a barrier. The president is using those bricks to box himself in. Blumenthal, Murphy and Co. should let this deal unfold to their camp’s advantage, the inevitable cocksure tweets be damned.

People’s lives should never be used like poker chips. Even dogs on velvet tapestries would recognize that as an artless deal.