Trump proposes path to citizenship for 1.8 million dreamers

WASHINGTON—The White House released new details Thursday of an immigration deal it would support, proposing citizenship for some 1.8 million immigrants brought into the country as children. The framework crafted by White House officials proposes a pathway to citizenship for those under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and anyone eligible for the program. White House officials frame it as a centrist plan to finalize a deal Democrats and Republicans could support. In exchange for the wider pathway to citizenship, the White House plan would reduce the number of overall immigrants permitted into the country each year and provide a $25 billion investment in border security. For young immigrants under DACA or eligible for the program, the White House outlined a pathway to citizenship after 10 to 12 years, “with requirements for work, education, and good moral character.” Hardline immigration groups criticized the plan. NumbersUSA president Roy Beck called the proposal a “framework for a mass amnesty.” But other conservatives praised the White House for demonstrating its willingness to compromise to protect DACA recipients who risk deportation after March 5. “I’m especially glad it outlines a path to citizenship,” said Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. “This is a good starting point for Congress to get to work.”