WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the Trump Administration’s immigration policy demands presented to Senate negotiators this afternoon. The White House released the same list of demands in October of 2017. Today, they demanded an additional $18 billion in funding for the construction of a border wall.
“President Trump has said he may need a good government shutdown to get his wall. With this demand, he seems to be heading in that direction. I’ve been clear from the beginning that Senate Democrats will consider reasonable border security measures in order to pass the Dream Act into law. The Trump Administration set this crisis in motion when it ended DACA four months ago. It’s outrageous that the White House would undercut months of bipartisan efforts by again trying to put its entire wish-list of hardline anti-immigrant bills—plus an additional $18 billion in wall funding—on the backs of these young people.
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Bipartisan negotiations continue in good faith among senators who understand what is at stake, and I will continue my efforts to reach a bipartisan agreement.”
It has been four months since the Trump Administration terminated DACA and called for Congress to come up with a legislative solution. More than 14,500 Dreamers have already lost their DACA status, and beginning on March 5th, 1,000 additional young people will lose this protection each day.
The document can be read here.
