DHS Official: Donald Trump Wants DACA Illegals to Get Amnesty, Become Citizens

by NEIL MUNRO
Breitbart
Oct. 04, 2017

President Donald Trump thinks it makes sense to sign an amnesty for young illegal immigrants and to let them become citizens, an official from the Department of Homeland Security told Senators on Tuesday.

"Under a rational bill, these [DACA] individuals would be able to become lawful permanent residents with a pathway to citizenship," Michael Dougherty, the assistant secretary for border, immigration and trade policy, told GOP Sen. John Kennedy during a Tuesday hearing of the Senate judiciary committee.

The statement reflected Trump's turnabout since his election campaign when he promised to send all illegals homewards, including the 800,000 younger illegals who got work permits via former President Barack Obama's 2012 "DACA" amnesty.

However, Dougherty declined to provide Kennedy with any guidance about what security measures, border-wall improvements or immigration reforms must be packaged to create a "rational" amnesty for the younger illegals, whose numbers include roughly 3.3 million of the approximately 12 million illegals residing in the United States.

"So the president believes they should be allowed to stay," Kennedy asked Dougherty, 92 minutes into the hearing.

"The president, yes, would like to work with Congress to get a solution," Dougherty answered the Lousiana Senator.

"Under what conditions does the president believe they should be allowed to stay?" Kennedy asked.

"I don't have those details for you, sir," replied Dougherty.

"We need all the assistance we can get," said Kennedy, whose used the "dreamers" term to describe the illegals, not young Americans.

"We need clarity from the administration," said North Carolina GOP Sen. Thom Tillis told the administration officials. Tillis is pushing his own pro-business amnesty bill that would allow the illegals to get citizenship in 15 years.

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