3 reasons killing DACA would be bad politics for Trump


On Tuesday, a reportedly deeply conflicted President Trump is expected to send Attorney General Jeff Sessions out to announce an end to the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program for some 800,000 immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children, but give Congress six months to come up with a solution before Trump's action takes effect. Nothing is final until Trump gives the word, however, the White House emphasized. Killing DACA would fulfill a campaign promise but appear to violate Trump's presidential pledge to treat DREAMers with "heart" and give them no cause for alarm.
Over the weekend, an "exasperated" Trump asked his aides for "a way out" of this DACA dilemma, two people familiar with the exchange told The New York Times. But the six-month compromise crafted by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will please nobody. Here are three reasons ending DACA is bad politics for Trump.
1. Unlike some other immigration issues, allowing DREAMers to stay has broad support, even among Republicans. These aren't Trump's gang-banging "bad hombres," they're college students, tax-paying young professionals, members of the U.S. armed forces, and people who die trying to save fellow Houstonians from floodwaters.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
2. Trump's relationship with congressional Republicans is already strained enough without Trump throwing what one official describes to the Times as "an unpinned hand grenade at Capitol Hill Republicans." Moderate and several conservative Republicans, plus all Democrats, support extending residency if not a path to citizenship to DREAMers, but the devil is in the details, and Congress already has fragile debt-ceiling negotiations, spending bills, and hurricane relief to pass this fall, not to mention tackling the GOP wish list of tax cuts.
3. Trump is already "cornered, weakened," and isolated, and now he's frittering away his remaining power by "shooting the hostages," Ben Smith writes at BuzzFeed News. Instead of holding the Obama-era "hostages" — the Paris climate accord, TPP trade deal, Iran nuclear deal, and DACA — for political leverage, he's choosing attention-grabbing terminating over power. "Now, if Trump kills DACA to please his base he'll be getting the worst of both political worlds," Smith argues. "He'll inflict real pain on hundreds of thousands of people to reassure his 30-some percent that he's with them. And politically speaking, he'll have given up a bargaining chip for nothing, and spent away a bit more of his political capital. That's not strategy, it's a panicked move in a corner."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
'"Andor" examines all sides of how empires operate'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Harvard sues Trump over frozen grant money
Speed Read The Trump administration withheld $2.2 billion in federal grants and contracts after Harvard rejected its demands
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump says electronics tariff break won't last
Speed Read The tariff exemptions on smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices are temporary, the administration says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Man charged in arson attack on Pennsylvania's Shapiro
Speed Read Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping when someone set fire to his Harrisburg mansion
By Peter Weber, The Week US