Trump stuns Washington with immigration moves

Trump meeting

President Trump stunned his conservative supporters on Thursday by asserting his willingness to strike a deal with Democrats to protect young immigrants living illegally in the U.S.

But the president and his team also sowed confusion by offering contradictory statements about potential stumbling blocks to the deal.

Speaking to reporters in Washington and Florida, Trump backed a broad outline of a plan Democratic leaders said they agreed to during a Wednesday dinner at the White House. The trade-off would include new border security measures.

“We’re working on a plan for DACA,” the president said at the White House, referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program which shields certain young people from deportation and allows them to work.

Trump terminated the program last week. Benefits are set to begin expiring in March, setting off a scramble in Congress to find a solution for the thousands of immigrants who are enrolled.

He declared the two sides are “fairly close” to reaching a deal, saying the plan must include “massive border security” but that “the wall will come later.”

Earlier Thursday, the president appeared to contradict House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who issued a surprise Wednesday night announcement about an agreement on immigration.

“No deal was made last night on DACA,” Trump tweeted.

But Trump’s comments Thursday largely matched those coming from the Democratic leaders.

“We agreed to plan to work at an agreement to protect our nation’s Dreamers from deportation,” Pelosi said, referring to DACA recipients, at a news conference on Capitol Hill. “We [will] review border security measures that do not include building a wall as we go forward.”

Like Trump, Pelosi denied that a deal had been reached, saying, “we had an agreement to move forward.”

Republican leaders appeared to be blindsided by Trump’s pursuit of an immigration deal, despite Trump’s claim that “everybody is on board.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) both said the president contacted them Thursday morning to discuss immigration legislation.

“There is no agreement,” Ryan told reporters at his weekly news conference. “These were discussions, not negotiations. This isn’t an agreement.”

If Trump and Democrats were to eventually strike a deal, they would still need support from some Republicans, who control both chambers in Congress, for it to pass. McConnell stopped short of guaranteeing a DACA bill would be brought to the Senate floor for a vote.

“As Congress debates the best ways to address illegal immigration through strong border security and interior enforcement, DACA should be part of those discussions,” he said in a statement. “We look forward to receiving the Trump administration’s legislative proposal as we continue our work on these issues.”

Some vocal Trump supporters lashed out at the president for pursuing a deal on DACA, calling it a violation of his campaign promises to crack down on illegal immigration.

Breitbart News, the outlet run by former Trump chief strategist Stephen Bannon, slapped the headline “Amnesty Don” on a story slamming the president over the immigration talks.

STRATEGY SESSION

Schedule Your Consultation Now

Name

All fields are required. Florida Immigration Law Counsel is a law firm. However, the use of the internet or this form for communication with us does not establish an attorney-client relationship. We will discuss your options with you.

More Posts

More Posts

Attorney Saman Movassaghi, Esq.

Caring and compassionate, Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez is a Florida immigration attorney dedicated to producing the results her clients need. She has over 17 years of experience helping both corporate and individual clients with an emphasis in employment/investment cases and family adjustment cases.

As the Managing Attorney at Florida Immigration Law Counsel, Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez and her team are capable of representing and helping individuals looking to attain a Family VisaWork Visa, and Citizenship/Naturalization. Her experience successfully representing clients in front of the Department of Justice for cases involving Deportation/Removal Proceedings will lead to success in your case.

Her experience and expertise in immigration litigation has led to multiple Avvo awards and other accolades, including the Clients’ Choice for 2017 Immigration Attorney. Her clients also consistently post positive reviews on her Facebook page. Her experience has also allowed her to teach a new generation of lawyers as an adjunct professor of law at Nova Southeastern University, and she also regularly gives speeches on immigration matters.

Counselor Gonzalez is also experienced in helping corporate clients through the process of filing for Employment Visas, Labor Certifications, and Business and Investment Visas with the Department of Labor. She takes on the entire case from start to finish, simplifying the process for her clients and allowing them to focus on their business.

Fluent in English, Spanish, and Farsi – Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez is dedicated to making her clients feel comfortable and assured in making her their go-to immigration attorney in Florida. Her goal is to ensure that those who want to live the American dream have a professional fighting for them and making the process as painless as possible.

Saman’s passion for immigration law stems from her personal life as the daughter of immigrants. Her parents were recipients of the student F1 visa in 1971. Her father came into this country with the goal to improve his life and the life of his children. He earned a PhD in Civil Engineering and Business, instilling in his daughter a strong work ethic that she carries to this day. Saman saw firsthand what it means to be an immigrant and achieve the American Dream.

Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez can personally understand the struggle of immigrants and the children of immigrants navigating through the bureaucratic process of immigration law. Because of this, she dedicates herself fully and provides her personal attention to every case. She prides herself on developing a strong relationship with each and every client, and she is not afraid of pushing the envelope and looking for answers where other attorneys have failed.

Saman Movassaghi makes it her goal to provide you with only the best representation for immigration matters because she believes it’s time for you to live the American dream!