U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said on Twitter that there will not be a deal on legalizing the status of young adult immigrants known as Dreamers, declaring that the U.S.-Mexico border is becoming more dangerous.
These big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018
DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is the program created in 2012 under Democratic President Barack Obama that Trump sought to rescind last autumn. Designed for individuals brought to the United States as children by parents who were undocumented immigrants, the program shielded the individuals from deportation and gave them work permits.
He also threatened to kill the North American Free Trade Agreement, which is currently being renegotiated with Mexico and Canada.
Trump has said he was open to brokering a deal with congressional Democrats who want to protect the DACA program in exchange for funding to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall, a frequent campaign trail promise. He insisted during his presidential campaign that Mexico would pay for the wall.
The thorniest issues in the NAFTA talks with Mexico and Canada concern U.S. demands on automotive trade and dispute settlement systems. Linking the future of the 24-year-old trade deal to Trump’s border wall plan has never been among U.S. negotiating objectives.
