President Donald Trump has decided to scrap a program giving work permits to people who came to

the United States illegally as children but gives Congress up to six months to find a legislative alternative.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program is an Obama-era program which protects nearly 800,000 young men and women, often called “Dreamers” from deportation.

The decision, to be announced on Tuesday, will seek to placate both sides in the immigration debate at a time when the president is also grappling with North Korea’s nuclear program and Houston’s recovery from Hurricane Harvey. </s> WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is trying to reassure the hundreds of thousands of immigrants in a program his administration announced it is ending.

"For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about - No action!" he tweeted.

He is referring to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which President Barack Obama created by executive order in 2012. Trump's administration said Tuesday it is rescinding the program but is giving Congress six months to take action on it.

Trump is navigating politically tricky waters. Portions of his Republican voters wanting a hard line on illegal immigration. Yet others in his administration and a majority of Americans support protected status for children brought to the country illegally by their parents. </s> WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is trying to reassure the hundreds of thousands of immigrants in a program his administration announced it is ending.

“For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about – No action!” he tweeted.

He is referring to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which President Barack Obama created by executive order in 2012. Trump’s administration said Tuesday it is rescinding the program but is giving Congress six months to take action on it.

President Trump is navigating politically tricky waters. Portions of his Republican voters wanting a hard line on illegal immigration. Yet others in his administration and a majority of Americans support protected status for children brought to the country illegally by their parents. </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congress voted on Monday to end a three-day U.S. government shutdown, approving the latest short-term funding bill as Democrats accepted promises from Republicans for a broad debate later on the future of young illegal immigrants.

The fourth temporary funding bill since October easily passed the Senate and the House of Representatives. President Donald Trump later in the evening signed the measure, largely a product of negotiations among Senate leaders.

Enactment by Trump of the bill allowed the government to reopen fully on Tuesday and keep the lights on through Feb. 8, when the Republican-led Congress will have to revisit budget and immigration policy, two disparate issues that have become closely linked.

The House approved the funding bill by a vote of 266-150 just hours after it passed the Senate by a vote of 81-18.

Trump’s attempts to negotiate an end to the shutdown with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer collapsed on Friday in recriminations and fingerpointing. The Republican president took a new swipe at Democrats as he celebrated the Senate’s pact.

“I am pleased that Democrats in Congress have come to their senses,” Trump said in a statement. “We will make a long term deal on immigration if and only if it’s good for the country.”

Immigration and the budget are entangled because of Congress’ failure to approve a full-scale budget on time by Oct. 1, 2017, just weeks after Trump summarily ordered an end by March to Obama-era legal protections for young immigrants known as the “Dreamers.”

The budget failure has necessitated passage by Congress of a series of temporary funding measures, giving Democrats leverage each step of the way since they hold votes needed to overcome a 60-vote threshold in the Senate for most legislation.

With government spending authority about to expire again at midnight on Friday, Democrats withheld support for a fourth stopgap spending bill and demanded action for the Dreamers.

‘DREAMERS’

The roughly 700,000 young people were brought to the United States illegally as children, mainly from Mexico and Central America. They mostly grew up in the United States.

Former President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program gave the Dreamers legal protections and shielded them from deportation.

Democrats, as a condition of supporting a new spending stopgap, demanded a resolution of the uncertain future Trump created for the Dreamers with his DACA order last year.

But Democratic leaders, worried about being blamed for the disruptive shutdown that resulted, relented in the end and accepted a pledge by Republicans to hold a debate later over the fate of the Dreamers and related immigration issues.

Tens of thousands of federal workers had begun closing down operations for lack of funding on Monday, the first weekday since the shutdown, but essential services such as security and defence operations had continued.

The shutdown undercut Trump’s self-crafted image as a dealmaker who would repair the broken culture in Washington. It forced him to cancel a weekend trip to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Clouds pass over the U.S. Capitol at the start of the third day of a shut down of the federal government in Washington, U.S., January 22, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

The U.S. government cannot fully operate without funding bills that are voted in Congress regularly. Washington has been hampered by frequent threats of a shutdown in recent years as the two parties fight over spending, immigration and other issues. The last U.S. government shutdown was in 2013.

Both sides in Washington had tried to blame each other for the shutdown. The White House on Saturday refused to negotiate on immigration issues until the government reopened.

On Monday, Trump met separately at the White House with Republican senators who have taken a harder line on immigration and with moderate Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Doug Jones.

Reuters/Ipsos polling data released on Monday showed Americans deeply conflicted about the immigration issue, although majorities in both parties supported the DACA program.

‘WHY DO WE HAVE TO WAIT?’

Some liberal groups were infuriated by the decision to reopen the government.

“Today’s cave by Senate Democrats - led by weak-kneed, right-of-centre Democrats - is why people don’t believe the Democratic Party stands for anything,” said Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

Markets have absorbed the shutdown drama over the past week.

U.S. stocks advanced on Monday as each of Wall Street’s main indexes touched a record intraday level after the shutdown deal.

Slideshow (5 Images)

For Jovan Rodriguez of Brooklyn, New York, a Dreamer whose family came from Mexico when he was 3 years old and ultimately settled in Texas, the latest development was more of the same.

“Why do we have to wait - again? It’s like our lives are suspended in limbo,” he said. And they have been for months. I don’t trust the Republicans and I don’t trust (Senate Majority Leader Mitch) McConnell with just a promise. That’s not good enough any more.” </s> President Donald Trump on Tuesday began dismantling the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protected hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children.

The program was created by the Obama administration in 2012.

Tuesday's announcement triggered a host of rallies across the Bay Area. In addition, many politicians and officials are reacting to Trump's decision to end the DACA program.

Here's what they are saying:

Read more on Obama's reaction to Trump's DACA decision.

President Trump’s decision to end DACA is a deeply shameful act of political cowardice and a despicable assault on innocent young people in communities across America. Deporting DREAMers means destroying the lives of hundreds of thousands of patriotic young people, costing the economy billions and betraying the fundamental values of the American Dream.

The President’s cruel and heartless decision to start deporting DREAMers in six months demands an immediate response from the Republican Congress. Speaker Ryan and the Republican House leadership must bring the DREAM Act to the floor for a vote without delay.

DACA recipients make our nation strong and represent the best of America. The President's decision undermines our nation’s values and is a cruel betrayal to the more than 800,000 young people, including more than 200,000 Californians, who have only ever known the United States of America as their home.

Dreamers are Americans in every way except a piece of paper. With this decision, President Trump is telling classmates of our children they don't belong, employees of Fortune 100 companies they aren't welcome, and saying to those who serve in our military and run small businesses that they should leave. These young people deserve better than that. They came out of the shadows and submitted every detail of their personal lives to prove that they were lawful, productive members of our society. By turning his back on our young Dreamers and their families, President Trump has once again sided with division and hate.

The consequences of this decision will be devastating. It will split up families, force young people back to countries they never knew, and cost our economy billions of dollars. It is heartless.

Now more than ever, it is time we roll up our sleeves and stand with these young people who contribute to our community and our economy. Republicans in Congress must immediately allow a vote on the DREAM Act, a bipartisan bill we introduced again this summer. We are better than this.

The United States of America is, has been, and will always be a nation of immigrants. As such, our immigration policies should be focused on keeping families together, not tearing them apart.

Undocumented students who were brought to the U.S. through no fault of their own are working, going to school, living their lives, and contributing billions to the American economy. For five years, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has allowed these innocent young adults to remain united with their families and safely reside in their communities.

Ending DACA in order to deport its nearly 800,000 recipients is cruel and heartless. Instead of devastating families, President Trump and Republicans should be working toward comprehensive immigration reform to permanently fix our broken immigration system.

Since President Trump has abandoned these young people, Congress must have the courage to do the right thing. I call on my colleagues to pass bipartisan legislation that will give qualified DACA recipients a path to citizenship and move to stop the raids by ICE and CBP in our communities, which undermine public safety and erode trust between local law enforcement and immigrant communities.

When President Obama established DACA in 2012, the program created a ray of hope for those who were brought to the United States as young children and they are Americans in every way except on paper. President Trump's decision today to terminate this program diminishes that hope for the bright young DREAMers who now call America home.

Over 787,000 individuals have received relief from deportation under the DACA program, allowing them to obtain work permits, pursue higher education, obtain driver’s licenses, and contribute their talents to our nation. These children put their faith in our government when they chose to come out of the shadows and I will fight with all that I have to ensure Congress passes legislation to overrule the President's irresponsible action and ensure that these children can remain in the only country they have ever known.

President Trump’s cancellation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program creates a moral emergency for our nation. Some 800,000 DACA recipients brought to the United States as children are today vital members of our communities and economy. They are as American as any of us – except for paperwork. President Trump’s decision to turn his back on them betrays our national character.

The threat of court proceedings is an inadequate excuse. President Trump has never been reluctant to go to court when he thinks it would benefit him. In this instance, over 100 law professors recently affirmed that “the legal authority for the Executive Branch to operate DACA…is crystal clear.

The impetus for the President’s action seems just as clear: an extremist, racist agenda. Seventy-eight percent of Americans oppose the deportation of such young people. However, groups tied to the white nationalist movement have long sought DACA’s destruction. Once again, President Trump seems to bend to the will of extremists rather than mainstream Americans, just as he did while condoning white supremacists in Charlottesville.

Congress must stop this mass deportation of innocent young people. Democratic lawmakers already stand united in our support for DACA recipients, as we do in rejecting attempts to use them as props in broader anti-immigrant legislation. The Dream Act of 2017 (H.R. 3440), which I proudly co-sponsored, would grant them the legal status and path to citizenship that they deserve. The only question is whether Republicans will join the right side of history.

The moral stakes could not be higher. The fate of some 800,000 of our nation’s young people who will forever consider America home hangs in the balance.

The Attorney General's announcement of the Trump Administration's rescission of DACA abandons 800,000 of America's hardest-working, most patriotic residents. Punting the issue to Congress, without any affirmative leadership to enact a legislative solution, amounts to a cowardly cop-out, placing the futures of these young women and men in serious jeopardy.

To San Jose's tens of thousands of DREAMers, we reiterate: ‘We've got your back.’ I will seek to challenge the Administration's actions in court, after consulting with our Council and City Attorney regarding our options in the week ahead.

History will not forgive Donald Trump for abandoning our DREAMers.

Today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program will be eliminated, creating the very real possibility that as many as 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought here as children may be returned to countries that they have never known. By ending this program the administration continues to drive our nation’s immigrant population further into the shadows. This has the effect of undermining cooperation with law enforcement, cooperation that often leads to the apprehension and prosecution of violent offenders - the true danger to law and order.

While job growth is slowing, health care costs are soaring, and as new threats emerge from around the globe, this action epitomizes the misplaced priorities of an administration unable to advance any meaningful public policy. This is yet another deeply troubling indication that Donald Trump's playbook has only one move: Pedal hate and absurd policies that appease America's fringe right wing white nationalists.

The administration's move puts the fate of these DREAMers in Congress' hands. While Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions continue to propagate the politics of fear, Congress has the opportunity to show the world, and the xenophobes among us, what America truly stands for.

President Trump’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was not only heartless, it was cowardly. This president just cut short the future of 800,000 children, but he is trying to shift the blame to Congress. Children should not be used as political pawns by a president who doesn’t even have the guts to go before the American people and announce this decision himself. Deporting children who have known no other home than America makes no sense. This president has just put the next generation of young American leaders in peril.

The hypocrisy of this administration is also galling. Attorney General Jeff Sessions claims DACA was an attempt to circumvent Congress, yet that is exactly what this administration is doing with the president’s executive order on sanctuary cities and their attempt to unlawfully add new conditions to law enforcement grants. Once again, this administration is showing its contempt for the facts and the law.

I am angered by Attorney General Jeff Sessions' announcement today about rescinding DACA, and am fully committed to stand with the thousands of undocumented immigrants in our city, and in particular today with those who are participants in the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals Program.

While I still hope for comprehensive immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship, the DACA program is a critical step for young people who arrived as children in the United States, to come out of the shadows and participate fully in economic and educational opportunities. We as a society have also benefited from these young people who have joined our work force and are working toward higher education.

As a country we should be expanding programs like this rather than threatening to shut them down. And as a city, we need to come together and strongly denounce these attacks on our immigrant communities.

President Trump is once again demonstrating that he is unfit to hold office,” said Senator Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) who serves as Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus. “The Latino Caucus condemns the decision by the President to eliminate DACA. This move is a dishonorable, cowardly, and malicious betrayal for the 800,000 Dreamers across our great nation. This is particularly egregious when one considers that the people being betrayed are children who have studied hard and done everything that was asked of them by our country and its leaders.”

President Trump’s decision is hateful, inhumane and will have a devastating impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent, hard-working people,” added Assembly Member Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, the Caucus’ Vice Chair (D- San Diego). “It will also be terrible for our economy, costing this nation untold billions in economic output. His decision is indefensible as a matter of policy and a betrayal of our nation’s values.”

Polls have consistently shown that DACA enjoys overwhelming support across the nation. The President’s disgraceful action comes days after he pardoned former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt for flagrantly violating the constitutional rights of Latinos.

California will continue to stand with immigrants, especially immigrant children,” said Hueso, “We will do everything in our power to ensure they are treated fairly and with dignity in this great state.

The American Muslim community and CAIR stand with the 800,000 undocumented young people who were brought to our nation as children, who call the United States home and whose only dream is to come out of the shadows and to stay where they belong.

"By terminating DACA, even with a six-month delay or 'wind down,' President Trump is pandering to the demands of anti-immigrant extremists and harming our nation by targeting some of the most dynamic and success-oriented members of society. In practical terms, the 'delay' in implementing the termination is meaningless for the vast majority of Dreamers and will inevitably result in chaos in their lives.

These young Dreamers deserve the chance to work and study -- and to be protected from deportation -- while Congress debates broader legislation to fix our broken immigration system.

President Trump's heartless action will only serve to create fear and anxiety for the Dreamers and their loved ones, and will force them back to living in the shadows, rendering them unable to contribute to our nation's economy.

CAIR encourages state and local officials across the nation to enact policies prohibiting discrimination based on citizenship status and to offer sanctuary and support for Dreamers.

American Muslims will continue to push for measures that protect undocumented youth and support comprehensive immigration reform - reform that includes a roadmap to citizenship for the nation's 11 million undocumented residents.

The Trump Administration has once again shown that they lack compassion and an understanding of the needs of the American people by now targeting 800,000 young men and women, who know no other home than the United States. These DACA recipients are bravely pursuing the right to go to school, work and fulfill their American dream.

We urge Republicans in Congress to stand up for these hardworking Dreamers. You have an opportunity to deliver a policy that upholds American values of hard work and determination and not allow hate or fear to guide decisions and law.

To the Dreamers who have boldly fought for their place in this country: we continue to stand in solidarity with you and we will fight every step of the way to protect your right to live and work in this nation with dignity and respect.

The revocation of DACA is a colossal breach in our nation’s progress towards a more equitable and inclusive society. It’s an injustice not only to our fellow community members with DACA status, but to all Californians and for that matter, all Americans. Ending the DACA program threatens the health and well-being of our neighborhoods, our families and our very humanity. Our economy stands to take a significant hit to the tune of billions of dollars, and the very fabric of our democracy is forever scarred.

This year, amidst great strife, we've seen the people of California rise up again and again to fight racism, hatred, and fear. It is more important now than ever to #RiseUpAsOne, and I know our communities won't stand down to this latest challenge. We reaffirm the fight to protect DREAMers, DACA recipients, and the entire immigrant community. We will continue to share their stories, share their battles, and stand up for what is right.

The California Endowment stands in solidarity with all of our friends, neighbors, and staff – no matter where they come from – in an unwavering commitment to justice and health for all.

President Trump’s decision to terminate the DACA program is a cruel, broken promise that will harm hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought here as children and have lived as Americans for their entire lives. When Trump promised to spare DREAMers from his unforgiving deportation plans, he was, yet again, blowing hot air. This is not just another broken Donald Trump promise, it’s a violation of the core values that America and our communities are built on.

These DREAMers have grown up in America: they’ve studied at our schools, enrolled in our universities, served in our military, and contribute every day to our economy and our society. Now President Trump — who pardoned Joe Arpaio for unforgivable racial profiling and violating a judge’s order — believes that these young people ought to be deported, or that they should stop working and instead disappear into the shadows.

Congress must now act to give the DREAMers a chance to earn their way to citizenship and stay in the country that they call home. This is a test for the leadership of the House and Senate: will we just hear empty expressions of concern, or will they actually take a stand and work with us to immediately bring the American Hope Act of 2017 to a vote, to protect these deserving young people from Donald Trump and set them on a path to earned citizenship. Congress needs to act now to fix our broken immigration system.

Every community around the country will feel the effect of Donald Trump’s reckless DACA reversal. In my own district, I have met with young DREAMers who are upstanding members of the community, including children whose parents are already facing deportation orders. I will continue to do everything in my power to defend these families from Donald Trump’s cowardly, destructive, and un-American decision to end the DACA program.

The President has rescinded an unconstitutional executive order from the prior administration that he had committed to reverse during the campaign. Now the real work must begin.

It is imperative that Congress pass a lasting legislative solution that will ensure that 800,000 young people, who have done nothing wrong, can continue to pursue their educations, careers and contributions to our great nation. This will only happen with bipartisan leadership from Congress and the President. Both Republicans and Democrats must come together to develop the immigration reforms that have sadly never materialized under presidential administrations and legislative majorities of both parties. Delay and inaction are no longer options.

As I previously have observed, ensuring access to a quality education is neither a partisan nor political issue; it is our mission. Since its adoption in 2012, DACA has provided stability and opportunity to many students and some of the faculty and staff members who serve them. Every one of these individuals is intrinsic to the fabric of our uniquely diverse community. Viewed through this lens, today’s news is deeply disappointing.



The President's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will have a profound and devastating effect on many of our students, and their families, and their friends. Even if Congress does act to protect DACA in the coming months, the President’s action has caused pain and anguish in our community and across our nation.

We want our community to know that we support the right of all students to attend school, and we do not record the immigration status of our students and families. We will continue to work with our community partners, such as the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, the East Bay Community Law Center, and the Centro Legal de La Raza to support our undocumented students and families.

We stand with our immigrant families; they are valued members of our community, and we will protect and support them in any way that we can.

To our Dreamers: You are fighters, you are resilient. We stand with you and for you in this struggle. The vast majority of Californians and Americans stand with you: They see you serving bravely in our military, pursuing your education in hopes of a better life, working hard, creating small businesses, paying taxes, and helping every day to make our nation stronger. We stand united in this fight because this cause is bigger than you alone. We will win because your American Dream is the same as that of all the people born in this country. Our shared principles of freedom, fairness and opportunity are much bigger than the narrow-minded and short-sighted claims of this Republican administration. Our country is bigger – and better – than Trump.

To those who aren’t sure if DACA is a good idea: The 800,000 DACA recipients make a positive contribution to America’s economy, as do the more than 220,000 who live, work and study in California grow our state’s prosperity. Alameda County has 17,000 DACA-eligible residents.

By some estimates, an average of 30,000 workers could lose their jobs every month once DACA provisions are eliminated. The loss of those workers could cost $460.3 billion in national economic output over the next decade. Medicare and Social Security contributions could fall by $24.6 billion. Canceling DACA will affect all of us – especially “documented” Baby Boomers and retirees. Nobody is immune from the impacts of this short-sighted action. DACA is not just “their” fight, it’s everybody’s responsibility.

Now that President Trump has rescinded the DACA executive order, we must demand that Congress and the Senate pass legislation that guarantees protections for Dreamers – and prosperity for all of us. There are already legislative options on the table, including the DREAM Act of 2017, the Bridge Act or the American Hope Act. We will be mobilizing public support in legislative chambers and in the streets for new protections, and I will be introducing an Oakland City Council resolution asking Congress to defend our Dreamers.

The Trump Administration’s move to end DACA is bad for America in every possible way. There are 800,000 youth in the United States who have benefited from this progressive immigration policy. But now they live in fear of being deported because their parents sought better lives for their children here in the United States. We must keep the dreams of Dreamers alive by standing in solidarity with them,” Supervisor Canepa said.

DACA allowed young immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, work permits and deferred their deportation as long as certain requirements were met. With DACA, young immigrants have been able to pursue higher education and personal career goals.

As educators in San Mateo County, our mission is to serve all children and youth and provide for their provide for their education and well-being. This mission has been undermined by President Trump’s action to end DACA. In spite of this, we will persist for the benefit and well-being of all students regardless of their background or immigration status.

Let’s remember that San Mateo County is the heart of Silicon Valley, the birthplace of innovation and possibility. We welcome immigrant students seeking to better themselves, their families, and our larger community. We celebrate their diversity and the manner that it enriches us all.

Diversity and inclusion make us a stronger and more just society. Children should not live in fear of deportation. These children are in our country, for many of them the only home that they have only ever known, through no fault of their own. They should have the same opportunity to live lives of hope and promise in this country of immigrants.

These values are reflected in the functions of the County Office of Education, which include providing leadership in equity and innovation, and ensuring that all of our students have a strong education and the promise of a bright future.

As County Superintendent of Schools, I will act to protect students in keeping with County Office of Education’s mission of “Equity and Excellence in Education,” to engage with all of the diverse communities of San Mateo County, and to stay true to our greater calling and purpose as educators and Americans.

Telemundo stands with the 800,000 Dreamers who are integral to the economy, culture and spirit of our nation. We are disheartened by the decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In addition to the human impact of this decision, repealing DACA will result in the loss of thousands of jobs in the United States and billions of dollars in economic growth over the next decade. We urge Congress to act swiftly to preserve the rights of these valuable members of our community. All of our elected representatives should be held accountable toward this end. </s> WASHINGTON D.C. - The Latest on President Donald Trump's decision to phase out a program that shields from deportation young immigrants brought to the country illegally (all times local):

 

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11:45 a.m.

 

House Speaker Paul Ryan says Barack Obama's existing policy for immigrants brought to the country as children was a "clear abuse of executive authority" and now it's incumbent upon Congress to act.

 

In a statement Tuesday, the Wisconsin Republican says the heart of the issue is "young people who came to this country through no fault of their own."

 

Ryan says it is his hope that the House and Senate - with the president's leadership - will find consensus on a permanent legislative solution to the issue. He says it is important to ensure that those who have done nothing wrong can still contribute "as a valued party of this great country."

 

Ryan's statement came after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he was rescinding the program known as DACA.

 

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11:45 a.m.

 

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is calling President Donald Trump's decision to end the program protecting hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children "a deeply shameful act of political cowardice."

 

Pelosi also said in a statement that the widely expected announcement on Tuesday was a "despicable assault on innocent young people in communities across America."

 

The California lawmaker said the decision requires immediate action from the Republican-led Congress, and Speaker Paul Ryan and the GOP leadership must hold a vote immediately to address the issue.

 

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11:15 a.m.

 

The Trump administration has announced that it will wind down a program protecting young immigrants from deportation.

 

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday called the program known as DACA as an "unconstitutional exercise of authority by the executive branch."

 

He says the Trump administration is urging Congress to find an alternate way to protect young immigrants brought into the country illegally as children.

 

Sessions says the U.S. needs to have a lawful immigration that "serves the national interest" and the U.S. cannot admit everyone who wants to come to the country.

 

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10:26 a.m.

 

President Donald Trump will phase out a program that has protected hundreds of thousands of young immigrants brought into the country illegally as children. He will call for Congress to find a legislative solution to protect the immigrants, who are often called "Dreamers."

 

That's according to two people who were briefed on the plan set to be announced later Tuesday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plans publicly before the announcement.

 

Trump suggested in an earlier tweet Tuesday that it would be up to Congress to ultimately decide the fate of those covered by President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA program.

 

DACA has provided nearly 800,000 young immigrants a reprieve from deportation and the ability to work legally in the U.S.

 

- By Jill Colvin.

 

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8:25 a.m.

 

President Donald Trump says Congress should "get ready" to take on immigration legislation.

 

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is expected to announce Tuesday it will end in six months a program that shields from deportation young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

 

The decision to delay the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA program, would give Congress time to act. But Congress has struggled to act on immigration because of divisions within the Republican party.

 

Trump tweeted early Tuesday: "Congress, get ready to do your job - DACA!"

 

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3:38 a.m.

 

Potential battles may lie ahead for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party in the wake of his decision on whether to keep the program that protects hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation.

 

Some Republicans want to maintain the program while others want it ended. Waiting for the president's decision are those who came to the U.S. illegally as children and in some cases have no memories of their native countries.

 

Trump is expected to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, but with a six-month delay. Congress could use that extra time to pass legislation that would address the status of the so-called Dreamers.

 

The Justice Department says Attorney General Jeff Sessions will address the DACA program at a Tuesday morning briefing. </s> WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday began dismantling the government program protecting hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children. Attorney General Jeff Sessions declared the Obama administration’s program “an unconstitutional exercise of authority” that must be revoked.

New applications will be halted for President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, which has provided nearly 800,000 young immigrants a reprieve from deportation and the ability to work legally in the US in the form of two-year, renewable work permits.

“I’m here today to announce that the program known as DACA that was effectuated under the Obama administration is being rescinded,” Sessions announced.

But the administration is giving Congress six months to come up with a legislative fix – “should it choose to,” Sessions said – before the government stops renewing permits for people already covered by the program.

According to Department of Homeland Security officials, people with permits whose renewals are set to expire between now and March 5, 2018, will be able to re-apply – so long as their applications are submitted by Oct. 5, 2017, one month from Tuesday.

Trump had suggested in an earlier tweet that it would be up to Congress to ultimately decide the fate of the young immigrants, dubbed “Dreamers” in a reference to an earlier legislative effort. He tweeted, “Congress, get ready to do your job – DACA!”

“Make no mistake, we are going to put the interest of AMERICAN CITIZENS FIRST!” Trump added in a second, retweeted message. “The forgotten men & women will no longer be forgotten.”

Sessions’ announcement came the same day as a deadline set by a group of Republican state officials who said they would challenge DACA in court unless the Trump administration rescinded the program. Administration officials argued the program might not hold up in court – and said that allowing the lawsuit to proceed would throw the program into chaos.

Trump has spent months wrestling with what to do with DACA, which he slammed during his campaign as illegal “amnesty.” Many of his closest advisers, including Sessions, policy adviser Stephen Miller, and former chief strategist Steve Bannon argue that the program is unconstitutional and have urged Trump to follow through on his campaign promise to end it.

But Trump has repeatedly expressed sympathy for the young people protected by the program, describing the decision as one of the most difficult he’s had to grapple with as president.

“I think the Dreamers are terrific,” Trump said last week, using a term popularized by supporters of the program, which was created in 2012 as a stopgap as the Obama administration pushed unsuccessfully for a broader immigration overhaul in Congress.

All the while, his administration has continued to issue new permits and extensions to immigrants who qualify.

But his approach – essentially kicking the can down the road and letting Congress deal with it– is fraught with uncertainty and political perils for his own party. Trump’s decision to take a harder line on young immigrants unless Congress intervenes threatens to emphasize deep divisions among Republicans who have long struggled with the issue.

The Obama administration created the DACA program in 2012 as a stopgap as it pushed unsuccessfully for a broader immigration overhaul in Congress,

House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement he hoped the “House and Senate, with the president’s leadership, will be able to find consensus on a permanent legislative solution that includes ensuring that those who have done nothing wrong can still contribute as a valued part of this great country.”

“Congress writes laws, not the president, and ending this program fulfills a promise that President Trump made to restore the proper role of the executive and legislative branches. But now there is more to do, and the president has called on Congress to act,” he said.

But Congress has repeatedly tried – and failed – to come together on immigration overhaul legislation, and it remains uncertain whether the House would succeed in passing anything on the divisive topic.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi called Trump’s decision “a deeply shameful act of political cowardice and a despicable assault on innocent young people in communities across America.”

“The president’s cruel and heartless decision to start deporting DREAMers in six months demands an immediate response from the Republican Congress,” she added, calling on Ryan and other Republican leaders to bring legislation to protect the young immigrants to a vote.

One bill addressing the issue that has received the most attention, introduced by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., would grant permanent legal status to more than 1 million young people who arrived in the United States before they turned 18, passed security checks and met other criteria, including enrolling in college, joining the military or finding jobs.

It’s unclear, however, whether the president would support that or any other existing legislation. He could encourage the writing of a new bill – tied, perhaps, to funding for his promised border wall or other concessions like a reduction in legal immigration levels.

But it’s unclear how much political capital the president would want to put on the line given his base’s strong opposition to illegal immigration, his campaign rhetoric blasting DACA as illegal “amnesty” and his reluctance to campaign hard for other priorities, like health care overhaul.

Trump’s expected move has sparked protests, phone banks, letter-writing campaigns and other efforts across the country urging him not to act. </s> President Donald Trump is expected to move forward with his promise to end DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, that allows people to stay in the U.S while they work or attend school. If DACA comes to an end, congress will have six months to come up with a plan. NBC10's Katy Zachry has more details about the announcement. </s> (NBC News) The Trump administration has announced it’s rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or “DACA”, set up to allow immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children to stay in the country.

The White House will give Congress six months to come up with an alternative to the plan, put in place by former President Barack Obama.

DACA blocked deportation for so-called “dreamers,” young immigrants brought here illegally by their parents, while they work or attend school.

“This is all I’ve known,” says DACA recipient Vania Galicia. “I want to continue to fight for this because it is my home.”

Nine states had threatened to sue the administration unless it ended the program by Tuesday.
The Trump Administration announces that, during the next six months, it will be ending the DACA program that has halted the deportation of about 800,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Congress is called upon to pass legislation to correct the situation.