Published reports say that some members of the Trump administration are pushing the president to protect young people that were brought into the country illegally as children – and then use that concession in order to get an overall immigration deal passed by Congress.
If so, such a trade-off would seem to contradict Trump's repeated campaign promises to deport these so-called "Dreamers."
Policy expert David North of the Center for Immigration Studies says Trump should stick to his tough stance on illegals, for two reasons:
--Trump risks angering or alienating his base, because his full-throated vow to stop illegal immigration was a centerpiece of his presidential campaign.
--It’s good public policy, in North’s view, so step up enforcement of immigration laws that are already in place instead of veering toward amnesty fop sake of a deal.
According to punlished reports by McClatchy and Breitbart, aides are said to want Trump to offer Dreamers protection in exchange for getting his border wall and more detention facilities built.
Trump aides are also said to want an online verification system included in the deal.