Donald Trump tweets reassurance to immigrants - at Democrats's urging
Donald Trump has tweeted reassurances to the immigrants who benefit from a programme his administration is ending - after being prompted by senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi.
In the latest instance of the Republican president doing the bidding of leaders of the opposition, he tweeted: "For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about - No action!"
For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about - No action!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2017
He was referring to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca), which Barack Obama created through administrative action in 2012.
Mr Trump's administration said on Tuesday it is rescinding the programme but is giving Congress six months to take action on it.
Despite his tweet, nearly 800,000 immigrants who obtained temporary work permits and deportation protections through Daca cannot rest entirely easy. Any of them whose protections expire within the next six months have until early October to reapply, and others must look ahead to an uncertain future.
It is not clear whether Congress will be able to solve their problem in six months - or what Mr Trump will do if legislators do not act.
Shortly after his tweet appeared on Thursday morning, House of Representatives minority leader Mr Pelosi told fellow Democrats at a closed-door meeting that she had spoken with the president and asked him to send it, to make clear to the so-called "Dreamers" that they would not be subject to deportation during the six-month window.
Ms Pelosi's comments were confirmed by a Democratic aide.
The development came a day after Mr Trump ignored the recommendations of Republican House and Senate leaders and sided with Ms Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer in favour of a three-month extension of the government's borrowing limit.
Republicans had wanted a much longer extension to protect conservative legislators from having to cast the politically toxic vote again ahead of next year's mid-term elections.
On immigration, Mr Trump is navigating politically tricky waters. Portions of his Republican voters want a hard line on illegal immigration, but others in his administration and a majority of Americans support protected status for children who were brought to the country illegally by their parents.
AP
