TRUMP CONTRADICTS DEMOCRATS: 'No deal was made last night on DACA'
"No deal was made last night on DACA. Massive border security would have to be agreed to in exchange for consent. Would be subject to vote," Trump tweeted.
DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is the Obama-era program that protects some 800,000 people living in the US illegally from being deported and allows them to work legally. Many in the program were brought to the US as young children.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced last week that the program would be phased out within six months, giving Congress time to act on the issue.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Wednesday night after a meeting with Trump, "We agreed to enshrine the protections of DACA into law quickly, and to work out a package of border security, excluding the wall, that's acceptable to both sides."
Trump's proposed border wall seems to be a continuing contentious point between the Republican president and Democratic leaders, but Trump gave no indication in his tweets that it would be tied to a DACA deal.
"The WALL, which is already under construction in the form of new renovation of old and existing fences and walls, will continue to be built," Trump tweeted Thursday morning.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted Wednesday night, "While DACA and border security were both discussed, excluding the wall was certainly not agreed to."
In his Thursday morning tweets, the president appeared to endorse a solution that would allow "dreamers" to stay in the US.
"Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!" Trump tweeted.
"They have been in our country for many years through no fault of their own - brought in by parents at young age."
Wednesday night's meeting followed a deal Trump reached last week with Schumer and Pelosi, in which he agreed to a hurricane-relief package and an extension of the debt ceiling and continuing resolution to keep the government funded through December 15. The House and Senate approved the legislation and Trump put his signature on the package days later.