Trump calls for âbipartisanâ immigration deal for âdreamersâ but reiterates demand for border wall
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders outlined President Trump's priorities on immigration reform on Jan. 4.  (Reuters)
President Trump  on Thursday called on Congress to deliver a bipartisan deal to ensure that some younger undocumented immigrants can remain in the country without fear of deportation  but  he  maintained  his  demand for a border wall and cuts to legal immigration channels that Democrats have opposed.
âI think it can be bipartisan â  Trump  said at the White House ahead of a meeting with Republican senators on immigration. âI hope it can be bipartisan. It can take care of a lot of problems; it would be really nice to do it in a bipartisan way.â
Lawmakers are facing a March 5 deadline to pass legislation to help the dreamers  immigrants brought to the country illegally as children  after  Trump  announced in September  he  would terminate an Obama-era program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that has provided two-year work permits to hundreds of thousands of them. Nearly 700 000 dreamers had been enrolled in the program and  after March 5  nearly 1 000 per day will lose their work permits unless Congress acts.
[ Trump  takes hard line on âdreamers â but remains interested in a deal]
âIf we have support from Democrats on DACA that would be terrific â  Trump  said. But  the president  emphasized that âany legislation on DACA must secure our border with a wall. It must give our immigration officers the resources they need to stop illegal immigration.â
 He  also reiterated previous calls to end a diversity visa lottery that provides 50 000 green cards a year to immigrants from countries with low immigration rates to the United States. âThe lottery system has to be laughed at by people outside our country â  Trump  said.
[âThis is the momentâ: Dreamers face make-or-break push on immigration fight with  Trump ]
After the meeting at the White House  two Republican senators  Thom Tillis (N.C.) and James Lankford (Okla.) said in a joint statement that the lawmakers and  Trump  are "on the same page when it comes to security our borders once and for all and providing long-term certainty for DACA youth."
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said  Trump  would play host to a bipartisan group of Congress members next week to continue the immigration negotiations.
Immigrant rights groups  including those that represent dreamers  have called for a âcleanâ DACA bill that is not attached to the spending bill and does not contain other border security provisions. Congressional Democrats have signaled they are open to some security measures  but they have steadfastly refused to support  Trump 's border wall  saying such a barrier is costly and unnecessary at a time when illegal crossings at the Mexican border are at records lows. Some moderate Republicans are also wary of supporting a wall.
Among the GOP senators meeting with  Trump  was Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.)  who has been supportive of immigration reform efforts that offer a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.  Trump   in  his  remarks  said Graham âused to be a great enemy of mine; now  he 's a great friend.â
âWe're working with Democrats â  Trump  added. âWe're moving across the aisle. I think we have a lot of support. But we'll soon see. I'd like to take care of DACA  but only under these conditions.â
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders outlined President Trump's priorities on immigration reform on Jan. 4.   [TGT] 
on Thursday called on Congress to deliver a bipartisan deal to ensure that some younger undocumented immigrants can remain in the country without fear of deportation  but   [TGT]   maintained   [TGT]   demand for a border wall and cuts to legal immigration channels that Democrats have opposed.
âI think it can be bipartisan â   [TGT] said at the White House ahead of a meeting with Republican senators on immigration. âI hope it can be bipartisan. It can take care of a lot of problems; it would be really nice to do it in a bipartisan way.â
Lawmakers are facing a March 5 deadline to pass legislation to help the dreamers  immigrants brought to the country illegally as children  after   [TGT] announced in September   [TGT]   would terminate an Obama-era program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that has provided two-year work permits to hundreds of thousands of them. Nearly 700 000 dreamers had been enrolled in the program and  after March 5  nearly 1 000 per day will lose their work permits unless Congress acts.
[  [TGT] takes hard line on âdreamers â but remains interested in a deal]
âIf we have support from Democrats on DACA that would be terrific â   [TGT] said. But  the president  emphasized that âany legislation on DACA must secure our border with a wall. It must give our immigration officers the resources they need to stop illegal immigration.â
  [TGT]   also reiterated previous calls to end a diversity visa lottery that provides 50 000 green cards a year to immigrants from countries with low immigration rates to the United States. âThe lottery system has to be laughed at by people outside our country â   [TGT] said.
[âThis is the momentâ: Dreamers face make-or-break push on immigration fight with  Trump ]
After the meeting at the White House  two Republican senators  Thom Tillis (N.C.) and James Lankford (Okla.) said in a joint statement that the lawmakers and   [TGT]   are "on the same page when it comes to security our borders once and for all and providing long-term certainty for DACA youth."
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said   [TGT]   would play host to a bipartisan group of Congress members next week to continue the immigration negotiations.
Immigrant rights groups  including those that represent dreamers  have called for a âcleanâ DACA bill that is not attached to the spending bill and does not contain other border security provisions. Congressional Democrats have signaled they are open to some security measures  but they have steadfastly refused to support  Trump 's border wall  saying such a barrier is costly and unnecessary at a time when illegal crossings at the Mexican border are at records lows. Some moderate Republicans are also wary of supporting a wall.
Among the GOP senators meeting with  [TGT] was Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.)  who has been supportive of immigration reform efforts that offer a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.   [TGT] in   [TGT]   remarks  said Graham âused to be a great enemy of mine; now  he 's a great friend.â
âWe're working with Democrats â   [TGT]   added. âWe're moving across the aisle. I think we have a lot of support. But we'll soon see. I'd like to take care of DACA  but only under these conditions.â