President Trump has recently expressed his willingness to reach a deal with Democratic lawmakers on recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, but two key White House aides have argued that an agreement requires harsher immigration rules, The New York Times reported.
According to the report, chief of staff John Kelly and senior policy advisor Stephen Miller have pushed for a tougher immigration policy, as lawmakers continue negotiations over a bill to fund the government. DACA, an Obama-era program that shields immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children, was central to those talks, which did not result in an agreement to stop government shutdown that now stretches into its third day.
GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham has criticized Miller throughout the negotiations, the Times noted, with the South Carolina lawmaker referring to the Trump aide as an “outlier.”
“His heart is right on this issue; I think he’s got a good understanding of what will sell, and every time we have a proposal, it is only yanked back by staff members,” Graham said Sunday, referring to Trump.
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