Trump’s DACA Trial Balloon Bursts Soon After Liftoff

WASHINGTON, USA - March 6: President Donald Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Stefan Lofven of Sweden at the White House in Washington, USA on March 6, 2018. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Anad... WASHINGTON, USA - March 6: President Donald Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Stefan Lofven of Sweden at the White House in Washington, USA on March 6, 2018. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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The cycle is getting shorter.

Before House Republicans had even learned the details of a new White House proposal for a three-year renewal of DACA paired with three years of border wall funding, the White House had already walked back the idea.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday afternoon that White House officials had been reaching out to Capitol Hill leaders to gauge their enthusiasm for the short-term deal, saying President Trump was on board with the plan despite his prior insistence that any immigration package include cuts to legal immigration. Just a few hours later, White House spokesperson Raj Shah said Trump does not support the short-term package and will only back a more comprehensive bill.

While the trail balloon was still aloft, several Republican lawmakers told TPM they would not be on board if such a provision was added to the upcoming budget omnibus.

“If we’re going to deal with DACA, let’s do it in a comprehensive way that actually deals with the problem, not just puts a temporary fix in,” Freedom Caucus chair Mark Meadows (R-NC) said, adding that House GOP leadership had already promised him that there would be nothing on DACA added to the omnibus. “I’m not in favor of punting. I’m in favor of getting it in the end zone.”

Meadows and several other lawmakers told TPM that the multiple injunctions on the Trump administration’s termination of DACA—which are effectively keeping the protections for young immigrants in place while the courts weigh the issue—have taken the pressure off of Congress to act.

“The fact is that we don’t have a March 5 deadline anymore,” he said, noting that the Supreme Court may not have the final say on DACA until June of 2019. “If people were facing deportation, maybe we would look at something short term. But we’ve got, really, until June of next year to deal with this in a thoughtful way, so why not do that instead of trying to do the short term?”

Rep. Mario Diaz Balart (R-FL) added that the court injunctions have been a mixed blessing—protecting the DACA recipients from losing their work permits and legal protections but bringing the immigration debate on Capitol Hill to a grinding halt. Rather than the “thoughtful” talks on a permanent fix Meadows hoped for, Diaz Balart is hearing no discussions at all.

“While I’m happy that the DACA folks have a bit of a breathing space, the flip-side of that is that people have less incentive to risk it, to do real negotiations,” he said. “That pressure is gone and we only work with pressure and deadlines. So I’m relieved for the DACA folks, but it hasn’t been helpful in that sense. We need to find a longterm solution, but the momentum is gone.”

Several GOP lawmakers, including Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), told TPM that—at least while there’s a court injunction—passing a short-term fix would be worse than passing nothing at all.

“The temporary timeline is one of the greatest cruelties,” he said. “If you’re trying to help people plan their futures and plan their lives, let’s come up with a permanent solution.”

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  1. Avatar for cd cd says:

    “the flip-side of that is that people have less incentive to risk it”

    “people” meaning republicants, getting to the point where defining repubes as people is getting tough for me, I might use the term “assholes” as a replacement

  2. “What if we do THIS!?!?!?!”

    “Good idea…let’s get something done!”

    “Oh wait, guys…guys…GUYS!!!”

    “What’s that?”

    “You can’t do that or it will take away major talking points for November…not to mention get rid of an issue we hope suppresses Dem turnout!!!”

    “Oooooooooh, riiiight…WE NEVER SUPPORTED THAT!!!”

    What, aren’t you as excited as I am to watch GOPers condescend to liberals/Dems and the Dreamer community by scolding Dems for letting the Dreamers down? I sure am. It’s going to be glorious, especially since there’s a growing segment of Dreamers out there who are falling for it. Don’t believe me? Use your Googles.

  3. I just refer to them as entities. Neutral-ish, doesn’t elevate them to that which they refuse to be: Caring, pragmatic humans.

  4. Avatar for pshah pshah says:

    He probably saw an all gold prototype yesterday in San Diego that he’s dying to put the Trump stamp on.

    I suppose he wants a wall to rally his base for the midterms. Democrats should resist.

  5. “If you’re trying to help people plan their futures and plan their lives”

    HAHAHAHAHA!!! That’s precisely the OPPOSITE of what the GOPers are doing. Their methbilly constituents…in particular, their methbilly constituents’ methbilly children…can’t compete with Dreamers because of all the deliberate destruction the GOP and its plutocrat masters have wrought on rural communities, public education, etc. It’s one of the primary reasons for the white fright they feel, which motivates them to screw the urban centers where “those people” are concentrated and it’s precisely why they don’t want Dreamers to be able to plan their futures/lives.

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