One day after her father unveiled an unrealistically harsh list of immigration requirements, Ivanka Trump called the plight of Dreamers “a very complicated issue that needs a long-term congressional fix.”
Ivanka Trump’s comments marked her first foray into the debate over the future of those young men and women who were participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program – frequently referred to in the press and by the public as Dreamers.
DACA beneficiaries consist of young people who were brought to the United States illegally while still children. Many have never had any home outside of America.
In order for Dreamers to obtain temporary residency and work permits, they had to submit themselves to criminal background checks, as well as meet a handful of other requirements.
Ivanka Trump expressed sympathy for the some 800,000 Dreamers now facing an uncertain future, referring to them as “innocent people” in need of a “long-term fix.”
Politico speculates that the comments could put Ivanka at odds with White House policy adviser Stephen Miller, who penned the list of immigration requirements Donald Trump said needed to be implemented before moving forward on DACA reform.
The requirements, which were formally announced by Donald Trump on Sunday, include the construction of a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, an end to chain migration, and the large-scale hiring of more than 10,000 new immigration and border patrol agents.
The statement is the latest development in President Trump’s saga of flip-flopping on the issue of DACA, which he campaigned to end and then promised to amend shortly after taking office.
Last month, Trump had purportedly reached a deal with Democratic leaders, in which he agreed to support a bill paving the way for the legalization of Dreamers in exchange for a moderate amount of funding for enhanced border security.
Ivanka Trump’s comments came the day after President Trump’s. Despite her views, she made clear that she wasn’t necessarily agreeing with the demands her father had spelled out.
“I am of the opinion – and the president has stated – that we have to figure out a good solution that protects these innocent people, many of whom were brought to the country as children,” she said. “There has to be a long-term fix, it can’t be bandaged over on a presidential level by another executive order.”
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