Schumer, Dems Slam Trump's Immigration Plan

Democrats are blasting President Donald Trump over his proposal to provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers in exchange for $25 billion for his wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The White House released a one-page proposal that would provide those who came to the U.S. illegally as children and were protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or ‘Dreamers,’ with a path to citizenship. It also called for $25 billion in funding for a border wall, in addition to restrictions on family-based migration and the removal of a visa lottery.

As we have been urging him to do for months, the President has finally put pen to paper to show us where he stands on immigration. Unfortunately, this plan flies in the face of what most Americans believe. 1/2

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 26, 2018

While @realDonaldTrump finally acknowledged that the Dreamers should be allowed to stay here and become citizens, he uses them as a tool to tear apart our legal immigration system and adopt the wish list that anti-immigration hardliners have advocated for for years. 2/2

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 26, 2018

"Dreamers should not be held hostage to President Trump's crusade to tear families apart and waste billions of American tax dollars on an ineffective wall," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said in a statement, according to CNN.

"The White House claims to be compromising because the President now agrees with the overwhelming majority of Americans that Dreamers should have a pathway to citizenship. But his plan would put the administration's entire hardline immigration agenda -- including massive cuts to legal immigration -- on the backs of these young people," Durbin said. His colleague from Illinois, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, called Trump’s plan as a "$25 billion ransom for Dreamers."

$25 billion as ransom for Dreamers with cuts to legal immigration and increases to deportations doesn’t pass the laugh test. #twill #heretostay #chicago #DreamActNow

— Luis V. Gutierrez (@RepGutierrez) January 25, 2018

President can't be trusted to keep his word or maintain his position for more than a couple of hours. Every time hardliners inside & outside White House shift his position, we get farther from deal to serve the will of the Am. people: to give Dreamers a way to live here legally. https://t.co/VhrbUfraza

— Luis V. Gutierrez (@RepGutierrez) January 25, 2018

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., also weighed in, Politico reported: "President Trump and Republicans cannot be allowed to use Dreamers as a bargaining chip for their wish list of anti-immigrant policies."

• Trump: Republicans Will Accept Citizenship for Dreamers
•  Tom DeLay Slams Trump's Immigration Plan