Are DACA Negotiations Hitting A Wall?
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Deal or no deal? It depends on who you talk to and immigration advocates in Southern California are concerned about the law protecting 800,000 Dreamers.
Immigration advocate Ron Gochez says even though there's talk of a deal on DACA, the program is still very much in limbo. Democrats left a dinner with President Trump Wednesday night saying they thought they had a framework for a deal. But it appears now that funding for a border wall could be a sticking point.
"I don't know what is going on in Washington D.C. but what I do know is that our students here now, are in fear," Gochez said. "The reality is we cannot allow our community to be used as a bargaining chip for Democrats and Republicans to wrestle over political points or votes."
The back and forth over whether there was a possible deal on DACA started with Democratic house leader Nancy Pelosi.
"We had an agreement to move forward," Pelosi said.
But these comments from Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer over the border wall may tank any deal on DACA.
"We're not for the wall. We'll never be for the wall," Schumer said.
President Trump is sticking behind his wall.
"If the Democrats aren't going to approve it, we're not going to do what they want," Trump said.
Republican leaders in Congress also chimed in – making clear they must be involved if any deal is to become law.
"There's no agreement. It was a discussion. Not an agreement or a negotiation," Paul Ryan said.
All of that partisan clamor leaves those who need DACA in place once again without real answers.
"Until we get an official word from the congress or the white house that passes something, then we can't really can't comment about these details that they're brokering," Immigration Attorney Cynthia Santiago said.
The New York Times is reporting Trump supports these negotiations and that there is some sort of deal in place between him and the Democrats.
