Top Senate Dem: We’re going forward with understanding we can work with White House on DACA

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Sunday lawmakers are moving forward under the impression they can work with the White House on a solution for young immigrants protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

During an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Durbin was asked whether there is a deal to protect DACA recipients without funding for the border wall and whether there is a deal to give a path to citizenship to young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. by their parents.

“Well, there’s a basic understanding,” Durbin said.

{mosads}Durbin said President Trump, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) came to a basic understanding without ironing out the details when they met at the White House last week.

Durbin said those are the two main pillars of the understanding.

When pressed on whether he thinks Trump committed to those pillars during the meeting with Democratic leaders, Durbin responded: “Yes.”

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) was also asked on the same show whether he thinks there’s a deal on DACA and a path to citizenship.

“I think there’s a desire to come to a conclusion here on both sides,” he said, adding that the details “matter.”

Trump said last week he is not considering offering citizenship to young immigrants living illegally in the U.S., saying, “We’re not looking at amnesty.”

His comments came after reports he struck a deal with Democrats to address immigrants benefiting from the DACA program, which he terminated last week.