White House says DACA legislation not linked to border wall funding

Following, speculation that President Donald Trump would require any compromise on potential DACA legislation including money for a wall along the Southern border, Marc Short, White House legislative affairs director told reporters on Tuesday that the President would not demand border wall funding as a legislative fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), The Hill reports.

Short while speaking at a roundtable event hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, rebuffed the claim, stating that the administration wouldn’t want to complicate its position by making demands that could create difficulties for many lawmakers.

“We’re interested in getting border security and the president has made the commitment to the American people that a barrier is important to that security. Whether it’s part of DCA or another legislative vehicle, I don’t want to bind us into a construct that would make the conclusion on DACA impossible,” Short reiterated.

The director however dismissed any notion that his clarification might be an indication of soft pedaling by Trump on the border wall.

He said, “The president is not backing off a border wall. The president is committed to sticking by the commitment that a physical structure is needed….whether that is part of a DACA package or another package, I won’t prejudge that today, but he’s committed to getting that wall built.”

Short’s comments followed suit of House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, who said last week that he wouldn’t demand border wall funding be tied to DACA legislation.

Meadows told reporters last Thursday, “I don’t know that it’s border wall funding, but it’s certainly a secure southern border.”

President Trump gave DACA rescinding a delay period of six months to allow Congress find an alternative to the deportation of the recipients who are called “Dreamers”, and the Justice Department has also stated that the deportation of the Dreamers is not a priority.

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