Tipsheet

Trump Confirms: A DACA Deal is Happening Before The Border Wall

Speaking to reporters Thursday morning before heading off to Florida for a visit to areas damanged by Hurricane Irma, President Trump detailed plans for DACA and the border wall moving forward. 

"We're working on a plan - subject to getting massive border controls. We're working on a plan for DACA. People want to see that happen. You have 800,000 young people, brought here, no fault of their own. So we're working on a plan, we'll see how it works out. We're going to get massive border security as part of that. And I think something can happen, we'll see what happens, but something will happen," Trump said according to the pool report. 

"The wall will come later, we're right now renovating large sections of wall, massive sections, making it brand new...We want to get massive border security. And I think that both Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, I think they agree with it," he continued. "I think we're fairly close but we have to get past the border security"

The comments come after Trump hosted Senate and House Minority Leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi at the White House for dinner Wednesday night, where a deal on the issue was not reached. 

The President also said he has spoken with GOP leadership about a DACA deal and border security.

"Mitch is on board, Paul Ryan's on board. We all feel, look, 92% of the people agree on DACA, but what we want is very, very powerful border security, ok?" he said. "Ryan and McConnell agree with us on DACA, we're very much, we're very on board."

Last week President Trump announced he will end DACA in six months if Congress cannot come up with a legislative solution to keep it. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly has repeatedly pushed Congress to handle the issue, especially since DACA through the executive branch has been deemed unconstitutional. He reiterated his position in an email to Fox News earlier this week. 

“Every DOJ and DHS lawyer says DACA is unconstitutional.  Every other legal scholar - right and left - says the same thing.  Trump didn't end DACA, the law did.  That said, I worked and succeeded to give the congress another six months to do something.  I am not confident," Kelly said.