Budget talks 'a mess' as lawmakers struggle to reach DACA deal

A rally in support of DACA outside of Trump Tower.
(Image credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump meets Tuesday with Republicans and Democrats to discuss the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which increasingly appears to be the make-or-break piece of this month's must-pass spending deal, CNN reports.

Republicans say Democrats won't budge on a budget unless the 800,000 "DREAMers" brought to the United States illegally as children are protected from deportation. "Why won't Democratic leadership negotiate with us?" Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Monday, as reported by Politico. "Because we refuse to simply pass the DREAM Act, as is, with no proportional border security and interior enforcement measures."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.