Watch: Paul Ryan Says Trump Should Not Kill DACA
‘We Want to Give People Peace of Mind’
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan is calling on President Trump to not rescind DACA, an Obama-era program that protects undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.Â
“I actually don’t think he should do that,” Ryan told local Wisconsin radio station WCLO Friday morning, when asked about Trump killing DACA. (Video above, begins about two-thirds of the way in at the 11:40 or so mark. Audio is off by default.)
“I believe that this is something that Congress has to fix,” Ryan added, as CNN reported.
The Republican Speaker also blasted former President Barack Obama for creating the program, officially Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
“President Obama does not have the authority to do what he did,” Ryan told WCLO. “We’ve made that very clear,” he noted.
“Having said all of that, there are people who are in limbo. These are kids who know no other country, who were brought here by their parents and don’t know another home. And so I really do believe there that there needs to be a legislative solution.”
Ryan said Congress is working on immigration and added that he’s “had plenty of conversations with the White House on this issue.”
On Thursday Fox News reported Trump had decided to kill DACA, and would announce his decision as soon as Friday. Axios now reports Trump will not make any announcement on the issue today.
“We want to give people peace of mind,” Ryan continued.Â
President Obama, who deported more immigrants than any other president, created DACA to keep families together and to keep undocumented immigrants who have not committed crimes to be deported to countries many of them do not even remember.
An NBC News poll out Thursday morning finds 68 percent of Americans think the issue of undocumented immigrants in this country is serious – and 71 percent say undocumented immigrants should be offered the opportunity to to apply for legal status.
RELATED STORIES:
Trump to End DACA, Obama’s Immigration Program Protecting Undocumented Children and Young Adults
Report: Trump Likely to ‘Pull the Plug’ on Immigration Program Protecting Up to One Million People
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