GOP rep: ‘I still believe there is a deal to be had’ on DACA

Republican Rep. Scott Taylor (Va.) said Tuesday that he still believes lawmakers can reach a deal with President Trump on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, despite Trump saying there will be no consensus.

“I still believe that there is a deal to be had that has more security, that has more disincentives for future illegal immigration and that has a fix for DACA,” Taylor said on CNN’s “New Day.”

{mosads}“I know that the president just said something, but I don’t think that’s a hard, fast position.”

The president has written several series of tweets about immigration over the last several days, including one on Sunday when he said there won’t be an agreement on the DACA program, which shields certain young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children from deportation.

“Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL!” Trump tweeted Sunday.

Trump last year announced plans to rescind the program, but provided Congress with a window of time to craft a legislative fix. 

But a court decision blocked Trump from winding down the program and removed the deadline pressure. An appeals court is reviewing the decision, with DACA remaining in place for now. 

Taylor, whose seat is rated as only “lean Republican” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, said “tension” on both sides of the debate prevented lawmakers from reaching a deal with Trump on DACA. That fight took center stage during government spending negotiations in Congress earlier this year.

The Republican lawmaker said he still believes a “path” for a deal is possible.

“I think that we should have a deal. I think that we should come to a solution that, again, has border security, again, has future disincentives, but also deals with that population,” Taylor said.