President Trump Says DACA Is ‘Dead,’ Claims “Caravans” Of Illegals Are At U.S.-Mexico Boarder

Donald Trump stated on Monday that the immigration program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is “dead,” and reiterated calls for Mexico to enforce border security laws.

Donald Trump DACA Announcement News

In a series of tweets, the president talked of “large Caravans” of people entering the United States illegally.

SLIDESHOW: DONALD TRUMP’S 30 CRAZIEST TWEETS

The “caravans ” — a subject that has recently been often discussed on Fox News — are a group of hundreds of Central Americans who have been traveling through Mexico in the hopes of crossing into the U.S. to seek asylum. There is little evidence of a new influx of immigrants at this moment, however.

Mexico has the absolute power not to let these large “Caravans” of people enter their country. They must stop them at their Northern Border, which they can do because their border laws work, not allow them to pass through into our country, which has no effective border laws…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018

…Congress must immediately pass Border Legislation, use Nuclear Option if necessary, to stop the massive inflow of Drugs and People. Border Patrol Agents (and ICE) are GREAT, but the weak Dem laws don’t allow them to do their job. Act now Congress, our country is being stolen!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018

DACA is dead because the Democrats didn’t care or act, and now everyone wants to get onto the DACA bandwagon… No longer works. Must build Wall and secure our borders with proper Border legislation. Democrats want No Borders, hence drugs and crime!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018

The DACA program “expired” on March 5, although some groups like the Center for Immigration Studies have stated that there is no actual deadline for DACA. Groups have said that this was simply a target date that the White House and Congress had set to reach a comprehensive immigration plan that could have helped avoid a government shutdown. There have already been two brief shutdowns since the start of 2018.

Trump has been pushing for the construction of a wall along the southern border since he began his run for president in 2015. Early in his campaign, he called Mexicans “rapists” and drug-dealers. Trump has visited California in recent months to observe prototypes for the wall.

Trump’s tweets on Monday morning were a continuation of his Eastern Sunday Twitter posts in which he blamed Democrats and the Mexican government for the supposed  influx of illegal immigrants into the U.S. Conservative commentator Ann Coulter has been one of the president’s fiercest supporters, particularly with regard to his proposal for building a wall. However, Coulter has grown frustrated with Trump that the barrier has not yet been constructed.

Later on Monday, Trump also vented about Mexico “making a fortune” on the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA.

Mexico is making a fortune on NAFTA…They have very strong border laws – ours are pathetic. With all of the money they make from the U.S., hopefully they will stop people from coming through their country and into ours, at least until Congress changes our immigration laws!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018

Mexico’s foreign minister, Luis Videgaray Caso, responded on Twitter on Sunday, and defended his country’s cooperation with the U.S. on border security.

The House and Senate — both controlled by Republicans — are in recess and return next week.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Monday that Trump has made offers about DACA.

“He wanted to see something get done, and Democrats refused to actually put something on the table or work with the president to get anything done,” Sanders said. “They wanted to use DACA recipients as political pawns.”

Mike Coffman, a Republican congressman from Colorado, tweeted that Trump’s DACA announcement was very poorly planned:

The Presidents DACA announcement couldn’t have come at a worst time. Easter is a day for many to rejoice and come together— not to put more anxiety on young people. It’s time for Members on both sides of the aisle to join forces and find a permanent solution for DACA recipients.

— Rep. Mike Coffman (@RepMikeCoffman) April 2, 2018