Latino

Koch groups knock Trump, congressional leaders over inaction on Dreamers

by Rafael Bernal - 12/20/18 10:20 AM ET

Two political groups affiliated with conservative mega-donor Charles Koch will run ads on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC this week calling for President Donald Trump and congressional leaders to reach a deal that combines stronger border security with protections for “Dreamers.”

The ad, scheduled to run on Thursday and Friday, features video clips of Trump and congressional leaders from both parties saying a solution for Dreamers is a priority. The TV spot will be accompanied by digital ads to in New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

The two Koch-affiliated groups — Libre Initiative and Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce — have been vocal proponents of granting permanent legal status to Dreamers, immigrants who entered the country illegally as minors.

{mosads}”For far too long our elected officials have passed on the opportunity to provide a permanent solution to Dreamers,” said Daniel Garza, president of Libre, said Thursday in a statement. “Right now President Trump and congressional leaders have a unique opportunity to provide both certainty for the Dreamers and enhanced border security – and walking away with a win. But what seems so obvious to those outside of political gamesmanship is escaping our elected officials.”

Congress debated the issue of Dreamers, particularly those covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, over the summer, but legislation did not muster enough support to pass either chamber.

The TV ad is aimed at last-minute negotiations to stave off a partial government shutdown.

A shutdown seemed likely a week ago when Congress and Trump were at odds over funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall. But Trump has since backed down, saying he will find alternative ways to fund the wall.

“The American people overwhelmingly support a fix for Dreamers. Our leaders say they do, too. They should get it done with urgency before any budget agreement can be considered complete,” said Nathan Nascimiento, executive vice president of Freedom Partners, in a statement Thursday.

Tags Donald Trump