President Trump tweeted Tuesday morning that “a deal will be made with Dems” over the status of 700,000 immigrants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program if the Supreme Court upholds a repeal of the 2012 Obama mandate by the Trump administration.
“Many of the people in DACA, no longer very young, are far from ‘angels.’ Some are very tough, hardened criminals. President Obama said he had no legal right to sign order, but would anyway. If Supreme Court remedies with overturn, a deal will be made with Dems for them to stay!” the president tweeted.
Many of the people in DACA, no longer very young, are far from “angels.” Some are very tough, hardened criminals. President Obama said he had no legal right to sign order, but would anyway. If Supreme Court remedies with overturn, a deal will be made with Dems for them to stay!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2019
Instituted in 2012 by former president Barack Obama, DACA allowed teens over 16 and adults younger than 30 who were brought to the United States when they were children to apply for protection from deportation and work eligibility. Qualifications include high school graduation or service in the military, among other criteria like not having a criminal record and being able to pass a background check.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear opening arguments over a Trump administration challenge to lower court rulings that blocked Trump from repealing DACA, a decision he announced in 2017. The administration argues that the program, which was created through executive action without the consent of congress, is unconstitutional and can not be maintained by any president. Proponents counter that the program’s administration falls under the president’s purview and any attempt to eliminate it will harm children.
Trump has drawn criticism for using DACA as a “bargaining chip,” and has stated differing views on the matter, often blaming the Left for a failure to enact legislation to come to a bipartisan agreement. Last month, Trump tweeted that a Supreme Court decision defending the administration “would actually benefit DACA, and be done the right way!”
President Obama said that he did not have the right to sign DACA, that it will never hold up in court. He signed it anyway! If the Supreme Court upholds DACA, it gives the President extraordinary powers, far greater than ever thought. If they do what is right and do not let……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2019
Last night, former vice president Joe Biden defended DACA. “I’ve met hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of DACA students. What they don’t get, what this outfit doesn’t get, can you imagine, you’re nine years old, and mom is going to take you across the line, across the border illegally, and you go ‘no mom, leave me here. Leave me, I’m going to stay.’ Come on, man, what are we talking about?”
"They are Americans now. They should be treated as Americans now." – Former Vice President Joe Biden on DACA, a program protecting young undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children from being deported. #CNNTownHall https://t.co/AICVqv0hxB pic.twitter.com/rpXYj6Mziy
— CNN (@CNN) November 12, 2019
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) responded to Trump’s Tuesday tweet by calling on Trump to “stand up and protect” Dreamers.
We don’t build walls.
We don’t shut our gates.
Immigrants have made America what it is today.
I’m so proud of our Dreamers. It’s time you stand up and protect them, President Trump. #DACA #HomeIsHere https://t.co/JN9s9FNr2s
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) November 12, 2019