Donald Trump still hasn't called off the longest-ever government shutdown in U.S. history, but Variety reports that the president has offered to extended DACA protections in exchange for funding for his beloved border wall. Democrats reportedly aren't that eager to accept the deal, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling it a "non-starter."
His offer would extend protections for undocumented immigrants with temporary status in the United States, as well as for the children of said immigrants. During a speech on Saturday, he said, "This is a common-sense compromise both parties should embrace." Democrats aren't exactly enthusiastic about funding the $5.7 billion wall, although Trump says he's willing to compromise to an extent. "These are steel barriers in high priority locations," he added, explaining that it wasn't what he called a "sea to sea" border wall.
“Unfortunately, initial reports make clear that his proposal is a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable and in total, do not represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to people’s lives,” Pelosi said, in response to his offer. “It is unlikely that any one of these provisions alone would pass the House, and taken together, they are a non-starter. For one thing, this proposal does not include the permanent solution for the Dreamers and TPS recipients that our country needs and supports.”
In early 2018, Democrats offered a $25 billion package with more permanent protections for immigrants in exchange for the wall, although Trump didn't accept the offer.
