On Saturday, President Donald Trump put pressure on Democrats in Congress to stop demanding amnesty for young undocumented immigrants by the end of 2017, as part of a government spending deal. The President signed a temporary spending bill on Friday, which will keep the US government in operation until 22 December. But, the White House and Congress still need to come to an agreement on a long-term spending deal.
The Democrats, including California House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, insist that any such agreement must include a solution for the 800,000 undocumented young immigrants, known as Dreamers, whose temporary protections via the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program will run out in March 2018.
Congressional Republicans and the White House want to keep the two issues separate, and Trump says that lawmakers will have to come to a decision. In his weekly address, the President accused the Democrats not only of opposing attempts to get tough with sanctuary cities and stopping illegal immigration but also of risking national security and holding hostage the funding of US troops by saying they will only fund the government if amnesty is given, tactics he says cannot be allowed.
Trump ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in September, allowing a six-month window to enable Congress to develop a new plan on behalf of those immigrants. Democrats want to see a solution as part of the long-range spending deal.