The pro-mass immigration Koch brothers’ network of billionaire donor class organizations is “encouraged” by President Trump’s latest immigration offer, calling it a “significant step toward” amnesty for illegal aliens.
Over the weekend, Trump offered Republicans and Democrats a plan to give amnesty in the form of three-year work permits to a little more than 700,000 illegal aliens who are enrolled in the President Obama-created Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The deal gives the roughly 325,000 foreign nationals living in the U.S. on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) amnesty to remain in the country as well. In return, about a fifth of border wall funding — $5.7 billion — would be secured to build a barrier at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Koch brothers’ network of libertarian organizations — Americans for Prosperity, Freedom Partners, and the LIBRE Initiative — released a statement supporting Trump’s offer to extend Obama’s executive amnesty:
We are encouraged by the president’s focused proposal, which offers to address the status of the Dreamers and enhance border security. This is an important first step toward a real deal. A deal that can unite congress is within reach, if lawmakers, along with the president, work together toward a long-term solution – rather than a temporary fix that leaves Dreamers unsure what the future holds. [Emphasis added]
Trump’s offer is nearly the identical immigration deal that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce lobbied the administration to push.
In a letter to Congress and Trump weeks ago, Chamber of Commerce executives asked the White House to craft and promote a deal that extended Obama’s executive amnesty and gave TPS beneficiaries amnesty.
“The Chamber supports a deal that combines increasing border security with protection and legal status for Dreamers and long-term beneficiaries of the TPS program,” a Chamber of Commerce executive wrote.
For the past year, some of the biggest donors to the Republican Party — including the multinational corporation AT&T and Steve Schwarzman of the Blackstone Group — have demanded amnesty for DACA illegal aliens.
While the donor class supports Trump’s offer — which was crafted by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), White House adviser Jared Kushner, and Vice President Mike Pence — his base of supporters is less enthusiastic.
Pro-American immigration writer Mickey Kaus told Breitbart News he was glad to see Trump not “embrace” the GOP-Democrat amnesty plan known as the BRIDGE Act, but said the offer overall “still seems a bad deal.”
Kaus said Trump’s offer codifies Obama’s DACA program, which he says will nullify all legal arguments against the executive amnesty. Additionally, Kaus tells Breitbart News the temporary three-year work permit for DACA illegal aliens will soon become a permanent fixture of immigration policy.
“As they say, there’s nothing more permanent than temporary amnesty,” Kaus said. “This will send a terrible signal to people in other countries, especially Central America, who are thinking of migrating here illegally or with confected asylum claims — especially if they bring children, who might qualify for the next DACA amnesty.”
“I think it was a mistake for Trump to bring any kind of amnesty into the wall deal at all,” Kaus continued.
Co-host of the “Red Pilled America” podcast Patrick Courrielche told Breitbart News that while amnesty would be a boon to DACA illegal aliens, it would hurt the very Americans who supported Trump.
“Trump promised us no amnesty,” Courrielche said. “Passing DACA amnesty knowing the devastating results of Reagan’s amnesty on American workers and families would be an unforgivable betrayal. I’d prefer no wall deal if it includes legalizing DACA.”
A DACA amnesty would put more U.S.-born children of illegal aliens — commonly known as “anchor babies” — on federal welfare, as Breitbart News reported, while American taxpayers would be left with a $26 billion bill.
Additionally, about one in five DACA illegal aliens, after an amnesty, would end up on food stamps, while at least one in seven would go on Medicaid.
Since DACA’s inception, more than 2,100 DACA recipients saw their protected status revoked for being involved in gang activity or suspected/convicted of a felony. Due to a hidden gateway in the DACA program, more than 39,000 illegal aliens have been able to obtain Green Cards and more than 1,000 naturalized.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.