US Democrats, Trump agree on immigration

ADS 300px;height:250px

US President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders in the US Congress have agreed to work together on legislation to protect "Dreamers," the illegal immigrants who were children when they entered the United States, although a dispute has erupted over exactly what was agreed. Following a dinner with Trump at the White House on Wednesday night, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House of Representatives Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said the "productive meeting" focused on "DACA," a program established by former President Barack Obama.

"We agreed to enshrine the protections of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) into law quickly, and to work out a package of border security, excluding the wall, that's acceptable to both sides," Schumer and Pelosi said in a statement. Trump's constructive working dinner with Pelosi and Schumer also included discussions on tax reform, infrastructure and trade, in addition to the topics of border security and DACA, a White House official said. The White House official did not mention any specific agreements. All year, Democrats have insisted that they will block any legislation that contains funding for the border wall, which many Republicans in Congress also do not support.

While White House officials have suggested legislation on DACA could move forward without wall funding, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders disputed the characterisation that a deal had been reached to leave it out of any legislation focused on the Dreamers. "While DACA and border security were both discussed, excluding the wall was certainly not agreed to," she said on Twitter. Throughout his 2016 campaign for president and since taking office in January, Trump has demanded the construction of a wall all along the US border with Mexico to keep out illegal immigrants and drugs. He initially said Mexico would pay for the wall but has requested money from the U.S. Congress after the government of Mexico refused to pay. The apparent deal is the latest example of Trump's sudden pivot to bipartisanship after months of railing against Democrats as "obstructionist." He has urged them to join him in overhauling the nation's tax code, among other priorities. trending in world