Donald Trump stated on Monday that he is willing to negotiate with the Democrats on an immigration deal, but he made it clear that he will not accept amnesty for immigrants who are illegally in the United States.
Furthermore, the president insisted that any solution must respect immigration regulations and stated that his deportation policy has not changed.
«We are not going to grant any amnesty or anything like that. People will have to do things the right way. They must do it; it is unfair to others,» the president stated during an appearance before journalists at the White House.
However, Trump did not rule out reaching an immigration agreement with the Democrats: "Of course, I am open to it," he added, referring to the possibility of seeking a negotiated solution.
The statements were made when journalists asked him about the prospects for immigration cooperation with the Democratic Party and the role of Stephen Miller, who has just taken over as White House Chief of Staff.
Trump expressed his confidence that Miller, one of the main proponents of the deportation policies of his administration, can work with the Democrats.
He described him as an intelligent, tough, and fair person, and maintained that he could get along well with the opposition.
Moments earlier, when questioned about potential changes to his immigration policy, Trump denied any intention to soften it.
“We have a very firm deportation policy”, he stated, before insisting that his Government will continue to focus on expelling those deemed dangerous criminals.
The president reiterated that he does not consider an amnesty, but acknowledged that among the immigrants who entered the country illegally, there are individuals who now have good jobs, are productive, and even pay taxes.
"My policy has not changed," he assured, although he pointed out that his administration is working with various groups to assess what can be done regarding those immigrants.
The rejection of an amnesty was also expressed on Monday by the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, who stated to the Associated Press that he had not yet discussed specific changes in immigration policy with Trump.
Mullin stated that a reform of immigration would require cooperation between Republicans and Democrats, but he rejected the idea that this process would include amnesty. He also maintained that any legislative solution for the beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program would fall to Congress.
The president's clarification comes just a day after Trump opened the door to negotiating with the Democrats a possible legal status for certain undocumented immigrants, during an interview with the 60 Minutes program on CBS, broadcast on Sunday.
In that conversation, led by journalist Ross Douthat, the president acknowledged that his deportation policy might have been too harsh and admitted that the expulsion of individuals with stable jobs had politically harmed the Republicans.
According to the full transcript published by CBS News, Trump suggested that an agreement could be reached for immigrants who have been living in the United States for 10 or 15 years and who work in sectors such as hospitality and gardening.
When asked if a negotiation with the Democrats could create some form of legal status for those workers, he answered affirmatively and believed that reaching an agreement was possible, although he did not explain the mechanisms that would make it possible.
The statements made on Sunday were celebrated by Cuban-American Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar, who linked them to her Dignity Act proposal, a bipartisan initiative that includes mechanisms for temporary regularization for certain undocumented immigrants.
Filed under: