House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi lashed out against President Donald Trump on Saturday, shortly after the commander-in-chief accused her of not ‘truly caring’ about Dreamers.
“I continue to tell people that the President cares about Dreamers because he has repeatedly said that he does,” wrote Pelosi (D-CA) on Twitter. “He can prove it by supporting bipartisan proposals in the House and Senate.”
Pelosi, writes Politico.com, added that it would be “impossible to trust him on anything else” if he can’t commit to revitalizing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
President Trump’s relationship with Dreamers and DACA is fraught with inconsistency and hypocrisy. Before being sworn into office, Trump repeatedly claimed he’d quickly move to strike the program, showing little sympathy for its young recipients. But several months after moving part-time into the Oval Office, he seemed reluctant to rescind.
By the beginning of spring, Trump promised to do his best to protect Dreamers, going so far as to assure them they could ‘rest easy’ under his reign.
In September and under pressure from a half-dozen conservative attorneys general, Trump pulled the plug on DACA, casting over a half-million futures into a state of uncertainty which continues to this day. Dawdling on deals with Democrats and reneging on negotiations with Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Trump’s lately taken the line that he’ll sign off for Dreamers only in exchange for a hefty tribute.
Two weeks ago, during the Senate’s immigration debate, a Trump-backed bill which would grant legal status to former DACA recipients and other illegal immigrants was soundly defeated by a large margin. The legislation would have sought a path to citizenship for Dreamers in exchange for billions of dollars in border wall funding and an end to legal migration schemes such as the Diversity Visa lottery and chain migration.
Following the resolution’s abject failure – over a dozen Republicans voted against its passage – Trump began lashing out on Twitter, accusing Democrats of leaving Dreamers derelict.
“Dems are no longer talking DACA! ‘Out of sight, out of mind,’ they say. DACA beneficiaries should not be happy,” Trump Tweeted on Saturday, apparently forgetting that he himself rescinded the program. “Nancy Pelosi truly doesn’t care about them. Republicans stand ready to make a deal!”
The Supreme Court’s action shows that rescinding DACA was not only legally questionable, but also unjust and cruel. But only Congress can provide the permanent solution our #DREAMers need and deserve.
— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) February 26, 2018
POLITICO notes that Democrats tried to pass a legislative DREAM Act for decades before former President Barack Obama created DACA with an executive order.
Pelosi, meanwhile, has cited a recent Supreme Court decision as evidence that the Trump administration’s decision to rescind DACA may not have been legal.
The high court refused to interfere with a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling which temporarily blocks DACA’s termination from taking full effect. Under the 9th Circuit Court’s injunction, Dreamers are shielded from some legal consequences until the judiciary can perform a full review.
“The court’s action is welcome news, but only Congress can provide the permanent protection our Dreamers need and deserve,” said Pelosi.
Sources
Pelosi fires back at Trump over Dreamers remark
Pelosi: SCOTUS move shows ending DACA ‘legally questionable’
Join the conversation!