We need to be careful of jumping to the conclusion that Trump is offering “DACA for the Wall,” as is being reported by MSNBC and other posts here. CNN is following the original report by Axios that Trump is offering only a three year extension to DACA and TPS. CNN reports Democrats have already rejected this offer. These poor dreamers would be held hostage for another three years, unable to make plans for their lives.
www.cnn.com/…
The President's latest offer, which he is set to deliver from the White House Saturday at 4 p.m. ET, will link his demand for $5.7 billion for a border wall to the BRIDGE Act, legislation that would extend protections for so-called "Dreamers," undocumented immigrants who arrived in the US as children and are covered by the DACA program. ...
The BRIDGE Act -- proposed by Graham and Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois -- would provide temporary protected status and work authorization for three years to eligible Dreamers.
While Democrats supported the original BRIDGE Act, they have largely moved away from it as a solution as DACA has moved into the domain of the courts. The legislation doesn't provide a pathway to citizenship and is only a temporary solution. When asked about the BRIDGE Act as a possible way out of the shutdown last week, Durbin made clear to reporters the government needs to be re-opened before discussions about it could become real.
"Democrats were not consulted on this and have rejected similar overtures in the past. It's clearly a Republican-and-Republican negotiation," a Democratic congressional aide with direct knowledge of negotiations told CNN.
If we are going to negotiate with a terrorist like Trump we must make certain the concessions required are painful enough that he does not want to do this again. We should not give him reason to celebrate a great victory encouraging him to continue this style of “negotiation” as his modus operandi.
Pelosi and Schumer have started off well. Trump is suffering pain. They should hold out for permanent DACA and TPS for $5.7 billion, not the $25 billion we offered last year that he rejected, so he learns a lesson.