Rep. Sean Duffy said Friday that a DACA deal could still get done even with new tensions after President Trump reportedly called certain places “sh—hole” countries.
“I think there’s a willingness to get a DACA deal done. We want to take care of the kids, but also we want to get to the root cause of the problem. Democrats have to come to the table,” Mr. Duffy, Wisconsin Republican, said on CNN.
A deal for recipients of DACA — Deferred Action for Child Arrivals — is a pressing priority for lawmakers. The current program is set to expire on March 5.
But leaked comments from Mr. Trump could put a possible deal at risk. A Washington Post article reported that Mr. Trump said in an Oval Office meeting that the U.S. needs people from places like Norway rather than “sh—hole countries” like Haiti and El Salvador. He apparently said this during a meeting where Sens. Dick Durbin, Illinois Democrat, and Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, were also in attendance.
Mr. Duffy said the comments were “indefensible” but said that immigrants largely agree with many of the president’s policies. He added that the growing economy and booming stock market were good for immigrants, and they want to see that prosperity continue.
“They look at a broad stroke of what the president does, and they love what he’s doing,” Mr. Duffy explained.
SEE ALSO: Donald Trump denies saying ‘sh—hole countries’ in private DACA talks
Mr. Trump denied making those comments and tweeted on Friday: “The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used. What was really tough was the outlandish proposal made - a big setback for DACA!”
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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