Threats of mass deportations have dominated the runup to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration so far. But this weekend, Trump told "Meet the Press" he wanted to help DACA recipients stay in the U.S.
In his first post-election interview, Trump doubled down on enacting mass deportations and said he’d begin with those with criminal histories.
But he also said he would work with Democrats to find a legislative solution to protect recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or Dreamers. Phoenix recipient Jose Patiño says hearing that gave him deja vu to 2017.
“He said that Dreamers have nothing to worry about, that he supported DACA recipients, then rescinded the DACA program, then said that he had a deal with the Democrats and Republicans, and then all that fell through,” he said. “It’s hard to trust that, because his actions have reflected that he’s not really serious about passing bipartisan legislation that would give a pathway to citizenship to Dreamers or DACA recipients.”
Still, Patiño said he hoped this time would be different, so that he and other DACA recipients could work to protect other undocumented people.
The Obama-era DACA program gives temporary protection to some undocumented people brought to the U.S. as kids, but no path to citizenship. Trump’s first attempt to end the program was blocked in the Supreme Court in 2020, but a lawsuit filed by Texas against DACA has prevented new applicants for years.
"As we speak, our communities await a critical decision from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals that could very well end DACA," United We Dream Senior Political Director Bruna Sollod said in an email statement after Trump's interview. "This lawsuit was brought on by Trump’s own allies in their relentless pursuit to destroy DACA and target our communities. Trump cannot say he wants DACA recipients to remain in the U.S. while actively trying to dismantle programs that allow people to safely stay in the place they call home."
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A protester involved in a tense immigration enforcement-related demonstration in Peoria earlier this week is now facing felony charges. -
A mostly administrative agency within the Homeland Security Department says it has sent nearly 27,000 people to face deportation in about 100 days. -
Republican lawmakers are moving to deny in-state tuition at state universities to anyone not here legally, a move that could undermine what voters approved just three years ago. -
The Trump administration is ramping up messaging around its mass deportation campaign — and encouraging the public to report undocumented immigrants to federal authorities. -
A federal grand jury has returned a three-count indictment against two Chandler men accused of assaulting FBI agents during an immigration enforcement operation in early June.
