Trump signals support for pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

During a meeting Tuesday with Democrats and Republicans, President Trump indicated his willingness to get behind an immigration deal that could serve as a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, The New York Times reports, adding that "such action has the potential to alienate the hard-line immigration activists who powered his political rise and helped him win the presidency, many of whom have described it as amnesty for lawbreakers."

The talk came ahead of a looming government shutdown, with Democrats unbudging on the budget unless the 800,000 "DREAMers" brought to the United States illegally as children are protected from deportation. Trump signaled that beyond a DREAMers deal, he is also interested in a solution for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States already.

"We have something in common. We'd like to see this get done," Trump told Democrats, although he also promoted other conditions some deem "nonstarters," such as cracking down on allowing immigrants to bring extended family members into the U.S. once granted legal status, The New York Times writes.

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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.