White House Releases Long List of Demands for DACA Fix

President Donald Trump laid out his plans for new immigration priorities to congressional leaders Sunday.

The president said Congress must act now on his plan, in exchange for extending protection from deportation to hundreds of thousands of young immigrants, many of whom were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

The president wants funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, a crackdown on the influx of Central American minors, and new efforts to curb the number of federal grants to sanctuary cities.

The Trump Administration also demands overhauling the country's green-card system in a crackdown on unaccompanied minors entering the country.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions applauded the president's stance.

In an emailed statement to CBN News he said, "Now President Trump has put forth a series of proposals that will restore the rule of law to our immigration system, prioritize America's safety and security, and end the lawlessness."

"These are reasonable proposals that will build on the early success of President Trump's leadership. This plan will work," he says.

Under President Trump's proposal, it would limit family-based green cards to spouses and the minor children of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents as part of an effort to end what is known as "chain migration."

The White House also wants to boost fees at border crossings, hire 10,000 more immigration enforcement officers, and make it easier to deport gang members.

"These priorities are essential to mitigate the legal and economic consequences of any grants or status to DACA recipients," White House legislative affairs director Marc Short told reporters in a Sunday evening conference call. "We're asking that these reforms be included in any legislation concerning the status of DACA recipients."

In a statement to CBN News, the State Department adds, "The State Department will do its part by, among other measures, continuing to crack down on passport fraud, making sure all visa applicants are thoroughly screened, and putting pressure on countries to curb illegal immigration at the source. Working together with other federal agencies, we will continue to implement measures that strengthen vetting of those referred for refugee resettlement."

In a joint statement Sunday night, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump's list of proposals failed "to represent any attempt at compromise."

"The Administration can't be serious about compromise or helping the Dreamers if they begin with a list that is anathema to the Dreamers, to the immigrant community and to the vast majority of Americans" they wrote. "The list includes the wall, which was explicitly ruled out of the negotiations. If the President was serious about protecting the Dreamers, his staff has not made a good faith effort to do so."