Trump Just Flatly Rejected The Bipartisan DACA Deal He Asked For

The United States Senate returned to work Monday. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Chris Coons (D-DE) had planned to introduce bipartisan immigration legislation on Monday afternoon. Before they had a chance to do so though, President Trump took to Twitter to shoot it down. Trump also singled-out Democrats for his wrath, a behavior that is not likely to engender bipartisan support for any of Trump’s 2018 agenda.

the art of the deal means saying ‘yes’ to all trump’s daca demands

Any deal on DACA that does not include STRONG border security and the desperately needed WALL is a total waste of time. March 5th is rapidly approaching and the Dems seem not to care about DACA. Make a deal!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2018

The roots of this immigration struggle are difficult to define. Did it begin in 1986, when President Ronald Reagan signed immigration reform which made those who entered the United States illegally before 1982 eligible for amnesty? Perhaps, but the current fight began in earnest when President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order protecting those illegally brought to the United States as children. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (those otherwise described as “Dreamers”) program was terminated by President Trump effective March 5, 2018. It is the extension of that program which contributed to the brief government shutdown in January. DACA has morphed from policy to pawn in a political fight and that fight must be resolved in the next 30 days.

RELATED: No DACA, No Deal: Twitter Reaction Ugly for Dems as Shutdown Ends

President Trump opened the most recent set of negotiations on the immigration issue on January 25th. To call them negotiations might be a little generous. Trump’s immigration proposal effectively demanded all his payments be upfront. Democrats would have to trust him, or some future administration, to deliver. Trump needs $25 million for border security, and he will not have that restricted or qualified. A significant portion of it will go towards construction of a wall along the Mexican border. He would eliminate the visa lottery and restrict family-based migration (what opponents call chain migration) to the immediate family, for example, spouses and children. In return, Trump would offer current DACA protectees a “path” to citizenship. This path, however, would take ten to twelve years.

Think about what this means. Trump and Republicans would get everything they want TODAY. They would get to claim a stunning and bipartisan legislative achievement the domestic equivalent of making peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.  Democrats might see some benefit in the 2032 Presidential election cycle.

RELATED: Even Fox News Poll Shows Stunning Number Rejecting Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Push

On Friday, President Trump spoke at the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia. Republicans were gathered there for their annual retreat. Trump implored lawmakers to pass his legislation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has stated he will hold a Senate vote on immigration this month. He did not specify whether it will be the Trump plan, or another, which makes it to the floor.

The stakes are high for Democrats. While Trump fancies himself a master negotiation, he is really more an extortionist. He is a master at leveraging his strengths to get what he wants at the expense of others. His word is often worthless. His signature barely less so. But Democrats cannot afford another shutdown they will be blamed for. And they want a permanent solution to DACA, which Trump can provide with the stroke of a pen. Make no mistake. President Trump’s tweet today was likely his final word on the issue, though he likely will repeat those final words dozens more times. He holds all the cards, and he has never been a merciful winner. As a result, there will be no bipartisan solution. President Trump ended that before it began.

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