Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump is moving closer to a deal with Democrats that would protect hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants from deportation.

But the parameters of any deal, including a potential pathway to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) participants and funding for his marquee campaign promise of a wall along the US-Mexico border are up in the air as the White House and Congress grapple with the impact of a Wednesday dinner between Trump and Democratic leaders.

The bombshell developments, which were first announced by Democratic leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi and reiterated by Trump himself Thursday morning, were met with immediate outrage from conservatives and put pressure on the President's Republican allies in Congress.

A deal would be the second major Trump-Pelosi-Schumer pact this month, following the agreement on the debt ceiling and government spending.

Trump said House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are "very much on board" with plans to make the DACA program -- which protected nearly 800,000 individuals who were brought to the United States illegally as children from deportation -- permanent.

Ryan, speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, described the Trump meeting with Democrats as "a discussion, not an agreement or a negotiation."

The Trump administration announced last week it would give Congress six months to pass legislation preserving those provisions before the program was terminated.

The President also has indicated that funding for the wall -- a signature campaign promise -- would be part of an agreement, but it is unclear when that would happen or if it would be a prerequisite for a DACA deal.

Trump, in Florida to view damage from Hurricane Irma, said he is not looking at "citizenship" or "amnesty" but that they are "looking at allowing people to stay here."

"We are not looking at citizenship. We are not looking at amnesty," Trump said. "We are looking at allowing people to stay here. We are working with everybody."

He added: "If we don't have the wall, we are doing nothing."

But earlier Thursday, Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for Florida that "the wall will come later."

And his comments on citizenship came only minutes after Lindsay Walters, a White House spokesperson, told reporters on Air Force One that Trump would talk about an immigration reform bill that "could include legal citizenship over a period of time."

"The Trump administration will not be discussing amnesty," Walters said. "What the Trump administration will discuss is a responsible path forward in immigration reform, that could include legal citizenship over a period of time."

Trump also defended on Twitter the undocumented immigrants protected under DACA, calling them "good, educated and accomplished young people" who "have been in our country for many years through no fault of their own."

Wall or no wall? And when?

The two Democratic leaders announced that following a dinner at the White House, they had "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 insisted on Twitter Thursday morning that "no deal was made" on DACA, and Schumer and Pelosi later issued a statement clarifying that what was agreed upon was Trump supporting congressional actions to put DACA protections into law.

September 13, 2017

7 p.m. ET Trump hosts a dinner with Schumer, Pelosi and other Democrats

9:28 p.m. ET White House says border security, DACA were among dinner topics The press pool reports that a White House official said, "President Donald Trump had a constructive working dinner with Senate and House Minority Leaders, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi as well as administration officials to discuss policy and legislative priorities. These topics included tax reform, border security, DACA, infrastructure and trade. This is a positive step toward the President's strong commitment to bipartisan solutions for the issues most important to all Americans. The administration looks forward to continuing these conversations with leadership on both sides of the aisle."

9:45 p.m. ET Schumer and Pelosi confirm working with Trump Schumer and Pelosi say in a joint statement, "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."

9:55 p.m. ET BREAKING: Schumer, Pelosi announce deal with Trump to protect young immigrants; will include border security, but no wall. — The Associated Press (@AP) September 14, 2017

10:21 p.m. ET While DACA and border security were both discussed, excluding the wall was certainly not agreed to. — Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) September 14, 2017

10:32 p.m. ET The President made clear he would continue pushing the wall, just not as part of this agreement. https://t.co/KD1SdLAnIF — Matt House (@mattwhouse) September 14, 2017

September 14, 2017

6:11 a.m. ET 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. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017

6:20 a.m. ET 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. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017

6:28 a.m. ET Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017

6:35 a.m. ET ...They have been in our country for many years through no fault of their own - brought in by parents at young age. Plus BIG border security — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017

8:23 a.m. ET Schumer and Pelosi confirm Trump's tweets Schumer and Pelosi say, "President Trump's tweets are not inconsistent with the agreement reached last night."

8:31 a.m. ET "The wall will come later." Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for Florida that "the wall will come later."

~10:17 a.m. ET Amnesty not on the table White House deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters aboard Air Force One: "The Trump administration will not be discussing amnesty. What the Trump administration will discuss is a responsible path forward in immigration reform, that could include legal citizenship over a period of time." and "There was no deal made."

~10:50 a.m. ET Trump says no citizenship or amnesty but allowing people to stay Trump, in Florida to view damage from Hurricane Irma: "We are not looking at citizenship. We are not looking at amnesty. We are looking at allowing people to stay here. We are working with everybody." He added: "If we don't have the wall, we are doing nothing."

10:51 a.m. ET Trump says Paul Ryan agrees with Trump's plan Trump: "I just spoke to Paul Ryan. He's on board."

11:37 a.m. ET Sen. McConnell stays neutral Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell avoids saying he's on board with Trump's plan, simply saying, "We look forward to receiving the Trump administration's legislative proposal as we continue our work on these issues."

12:22 p.m. ET Ryan calls the talks just a discussion .@SpeakerRyan: "There is no agreement." Says POTUS and CoS Kelly called him this AM from Air Force One to talk about DACA — Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) September 14, 2017

"What remains to be negotiated are the details of border security, with a mutual goal of finalizing all details as soon as possible," the statement said. "While both sides agreed that the wall would not be any part of this agreement, the President made clear he intends to pursue it at a later time, and we made clear we would continue to oppose it."

In Florida, Trump called the wall "vital."

"The wall to me is vital," Trump said. "If I don't get the wall then we will become the obstruction."

He added of Democrats, "at some point they're gonna have to (fund the wall). They cannot obstruct the wall."

"Whether it's in the budget or another vehicle -- they need to make sure the wall is funded or we're not doing any deals," Trump said.

But earlier Thursday, Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for Florida that "the wall will come later," making it unclear when an agreement would have to be reached.

At the White House, Trump told reporters that progress continues on the wall.

"We're right now renovating large sections of wall," he said. "Making it brand new. We're doing a lot of renovations we're building four different samples of the wall to see which one we're going to choose. The wall is going to be built -- it will be funded a little bit later."

JUST WATCHED Trump's twists and turns on DACA Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump's twists and turns on DACA 02:30

Conservatives outraged

If a deal on some immigration and border issues happens, it would be the second major agreement between Trump, Schumer and Pelosi this month following their pact last week to raise the debt ceiling and extend government funding into December that left the GOP and some of Trump's closest allies flabbergasted.

The bipartisan DREAM Act -- a more comprehensive immigration bill that was proposed years ago but never passed -- would be part of the proposed arrangement, a person briefed on the meeting said Wednesday night.

Pelosi briefed her whip team Thursday morning on the DACA talks, according to two Democrats who attended the weekly meeting.

"She said that they agreed to work out a solution," Rep. Mike Thompson, D-California, told CNN. "I think we are well on our way.

Another Democratic source in the meeting told CNN that there was "only positive reaction" from those in the room.

Schumer and Pelosi's statement on Wednesday quickly sent shockwaves through Trump's conservative base, as his hardline stance on immigration was a core tenet of his campaign.

"Unbelievable! Amnesty is a pardon for immigration law breakers coupled with the reward of the objective of their crime," tweeted Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa.

He continued: "@RealDonaldTrump If AP is correct, Trump base is blown up, destroyed, irreparable, and disillusioned beyond repair. No promise is credible."

Conservative commentator Laura Ingraham tweeted that "Dems' 'Border security' pledge is MEANINGLESS." Staunch Trump ally Sean Hannity added , "Weak R's have betrayed voters. @POTUS needs to stay the course and keep his promises or it's over! Pelosi and Schumer can never be trusted."

And Breitbart News, run by Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, headlined news of the alleged deal Wednesday with "Amnesty Don."

Amid the criticism Wednesday night, Trump weighed in on tax reform and his former election rival, Hillary Clinton , waiting to respond to the reaction until Thursday morning.

JUST WATCHED Dreamers respond to DACA ending Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Dreamers respond to DACA ending 02:13

GOP leaders absent from dinner

Making a deal that finds a way to keep the individuals who benefit under DACA in the United States shows the challenge of striking bipartisan deals in Washington, and no agreement will move forward in Congress unless Ryan and McConnell agree on it.

Congressional Republican leaders were absent from Wednesday's dinner, which featured Chinese food and chocolate pie for dessert, sources said, and it was not immediately clear how they would handle such legislation on Capitol Hill.

The dinner took place the same day Ryan and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy met with Democratic leadership and representatives from groups in the Capitol.

"It's the beginning of a listening that the President asked us to do," McCarthy said. "We've got a broken immigration system we've got to fix. It was the beginning of a discussion where we were listening to concerns."

There was significant trepidation among senior GOP aides before Wednesday night's dinner that Trump would make concessions to Democrats on DACA. Behind the scenes, Republican leadership has been crafting a plan and process to get address the issue while also getting the conference comfortable with the extent of the border security money and resources they planned on securing for any deal.

The primary reason for the silence from GOP leadership offices is they were trying to figure out what actually happened during the dinner.

"You apparently know more than we do," one senior GOP aide told CNN.

This story has been updated.</s>Democratic leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi said following a Wednesday night meeting with President Donald Trump that they have “agreed” to a fix on DACA and resolved to iron out a border-security plan — “excluding” the US-Mexico border wall that was one of Trump’s most memorable campaign promises.

In a statement following their White House dinner, Schumer and Pelosi said the parties had “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.” The bipartisan DREAM Act would be part of the arrangement, a person briefed on the meeting said.

A deal, if it holds, would be the second major agreement between Trump, Schumer and Pelosi this month, following their pact last week to raise the debt ceiling and extent government funding into December that left the GOP and some of Trump’s closest allies flabbergasted. Congressional Republican leaders were absent from Wednesday’s dinner, which featured Chinese food and chocolate pie for dessert, sources said, and it is unclear how they will respond to the tentative deal or proceed with legislation.

Trump may also face fire from the right and his base for making a deal so quickly on DACA that doesn’t include the border wall, his signature issue during the campaign.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders immediately pushed back on the idea the wall would be dropped.

“While DACA and border security were both discussed, excluding the wall was certainly not agreed to,” Sanders said.

White House Legislative Affairs Director Marc Short confirmed that the President and Democrats agreed to work to find a legislative fix for DACA, but he called Democrats’ claim of a deal that would exclude wall funding “intentionally misleading.”

Schumer’s communications director Matt House retweeted Sanders’ statement, then added that Trump had indeed agreed to leaving the border wall out of the equation — at least for this round.

“The President made clear he would continue pushing the wall, just not as part of this agreement,” House tweeted.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program had protected individuals who were brought to the United States illegally as children from deportation. The Trump administration announced last week it would give Congress six months to pass legislation preserving those provisions before the program was terminated.

Making a deal that finds a way to keep the individuals who benefit under DACA in the United States shows the challenge of striking bipartisan deals in Washington.

Now the question facing Trump is whether he can withstand the uncomfortable heat from his right flank.

The dinner took place the same day House Speaker Paul Ryan and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy met with Democratic leadership and representatives from groups in the Capitol.

“It’s the beginning of a listening that the President asked us to do,” McCarthy said. “We’ve got a broken immigration system we’ve got to fix. It was the beginning of a discussion where we were listening to concerns.”

A White House official said in a statement that the topics discussed at Wednesday’s dinner included tax reform, border security, DACA, infrastructure and trade.

“This is a positive step toward the President’s strong commitment to bipartisan solutions for the issues most important to all Americans,” the statement said. “The administration looks forward to continuing these conversations with leadership on both sides of the aisle.”</s>President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats appeared to move closer to an agreement to extend protections for so-called Dreamers on Wednesday night, and Democratic leaders said Trump agreed not to push for a border wall as part of that deal.

Dropping the demand for a border wall could make it easier for Republicans and Democrats to reach a deal on DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which protects undocumented immigrants brought into the country as children.

But a key detail of an agreement, first announced by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi after a dinner with the president, quickly became a matter of dispute.

The Democratic leaders said it included an agreement "to work out a package of border security, excluding the wall, that's acceptable to both sides."

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Twitter: "While DACA and border security were both discussed, excluding the wall was certainly not agreed to."

Earlier Wednesday, White House legislative affairs director Marc Short told an industry trade group that the border wall does not have to be a part of an agreement on DACA, one attendee at the meeting said.

The Trump administration announced last week that the Obama-era program would end in six months. Trump said as part of the announcement that "I am not going to just cut DACA off, but rather provide a window of opportunity for Congress to finally act."

Ending DACA could affect as many as an estimated 800,000 people. The program allows undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children to remain and get work permits in the country.

Sources told NBC News that Schumer and Pelosi told Trump they are prepared to deliver votes on a measure that would pair the existing DREAM Act bill text with additional border security that does not include the border wall funding. Specifics on what type and level of border security were not disclosed.

The DREAM Act would have offered those who came to the U.S. illegally as children the opportunity to potentially gain permanent legal residency. The act was first introduced in August 2001 by Sen. Orin Hatch, R-Utah, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill. It has resurfaced several times, always failing to get through Congress.

Related: What Is DACA? What You Need to Know About the Program

Pelosi and Schumer said in the joint statement: “We had a very productive meeting at the White House with the President. The discussion focused on DACA. 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.”

Sources said "the president wants this done fast" referring to a resolution to the DACA program. Moving anything requires the Republican leadership to push any bills to a vote.

After Huckabee Sanders' tweet, a spokesman for Schumer said on Twitter: "The President made clear he would continue pushing the wall, just not as part of this agreement."

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., suggested last week that the issue could be tied to Trump’s pledge for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

"It's only reasonable and fitting that we also address the root cause of the problem, which is borders that are not sufficiently controlled while we address this very real and very human problem that's right in front of us," Ryan said on Sept. 6.

Some criticized the reported agreement.

Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa, referring to a tweet about the agreement by the Associated Press, said on Twitter "If AP is correct, Trump base is blown up, destroyed, irreparable, and disillusioned beyond repair. No promise is credible."

Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona tweeted his support to Trump "for pursuing agreement that will protect #Dreamers from deportation."

A White House official said Wednesday night that "President Donald Trump had a constructive working dinner with Senate and House Minority Leaders, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi as well as Administration officials to discuss policy and legislative priorities," which included DACA.

"This is a positive step toward the President's strong commitment to bipartisan solutions for the issues most important to all Americans," the White House official said. "The Administration looks forward to continuing these conversations with leadership on both sides of the aisle."

If an agreement on DACA was struck, it would be the latest instance of Trump reaching across the aisle to Democrats in search of a legislative acheivement.

The president struck a deal with Schumer and Pelosi last week that combines disaster aid for those affected by Hurricane Harvey with measures to keep the government open and extend the debt ceiling for three months. Some Republicans were left upset at that deal.

Trump signed the $15 billion disaster relief package into law on Friday.</s>Top US congressional Democrats emerged from a meeting with President Donald Trump Wednesday claiming progress on a deal that protects young immigrants and boosts border security, while not including a border wall.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi said they had a "very productive" dinner meeting with Trump in which the discussion focused on the fate of young immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as children.

Trump's predecessor Barack Obama protected such immigrants, known as "dreamers," through his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals order.

But Trump rescinded that executive order, and urged Congress to craft a legal solution within the next six months.

"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," Schumer and Pelosi said in a joint statement.

The White House, which had earlier put out a muted statement about the "constructive working dinner" addressing tax reform, border security, DACA and the need for bipartisan solutions, quickly pushed back against the Democrats' characterization.

"While DACA and border security were both discussed, excluding the wall was certainly not agreed to," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said on Twitter.

A Schumer aide also weighed in to clarify.

"The president made clear he would continue pushing the wall, just not as part of this agreement," Matt House tweeted.

Trump has maintained his desire to build a wall, even threatening a government shutdown last month if he did not get his way. Funding for its construction would likely be pursued through budget talks and not DACA legislation.

But the progress that was apparently achieved at the dinner is another sign that the Republican president is comfortable dealing with the opposition, as much or more than the congressional leaders within his own party.

Last week, over the objection of House Speaker Paul Ryan, Trump struck a deal with Schumer and Pelosi to fund a hurricane relief package that also included a debt ceiling hike and three-month extension of government funding.</s>WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said any move on illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children would have to be tied to security, disputing Democratic congressional leaders who said they had reached a deal with him on the issue.

"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 wrote in one of a series of posts on Twitter.

He was referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program created by former President Barack Obama.

"The Wall (on the U.S.-Mexico border), which is already under construction in the form of new renovation of old and existing fences and walls, will continue to be built," Trump also wrote.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House of Representatives Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi earlier said they had come to an agreement with Trump at a dinner meeting at the White House Wednesday evening.

"We agreed to enshrine the protections of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) into law quickly, and to work out a package of border security, excluding the wall, that's acceptable to both sides," Schumer and Pelosi said in a statement.

"While DACA and border security were both discussed, excluding the wall was certainly not agreed to," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said on Twitter on Wednesday night.

Still, Trump on Thursday appeared to acknowledge the complexity of handing the issue of the immigrant children dubbed Dreamers.

A mainstay of his 2016 presidential campaign was a promise to build a wall along the southern U.S. border aimed at keeping immigrants and drugs out. He had said Mexico would pay for it but has since requested money from the U.S. Congress.

"Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!" Trump wrote in another tweet.

"They have been in our country for many years through no fault of their own - brought in by parents at young age. Plus big border security." (Reporting by Susan Heavey; editing by John Stonestreet)</s>The top House and Senate Democrats said Wednesday they had reached agreement with President Donald Trump to protect thousands of younger immigrants from deportation and fund some border security enhancements — not including Trump's long-sought border wall.

The agreement, the latest instance of Trump ditching his own party to make common cause with the opposition, was announced by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi following a White House dinner that Republican lawmakers weren't invited to attend. It would enshrine protections for the nearly 800,000 immigrants brought illegally to this country as kids who had benefited from former President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, which provided temporary work permits and shielded recipients from deportation.

Trump ended the program earlier this month and gave Congress six months to come up with a legislative fix before the statuses of the so-called "Dreamers" begin to expire.

"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," Pelosi and Schumer said in a joint statement.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders partially disputed their characterization, saying over Twitter that "excluding the wall was certainly not agreed to."

Either way, it was the second time in two weeks that Trump cut out Republicans to reach a deal with Pelosi and Schumer. A person briefed on the meeting, who demanded anonymity to discuss it, said the deal specifies bipartisan legislation called the DREAM Act that provides eventual citizenship for the young immigrants.

House Republicans would normally rebel over such an approach, which many view as amnesty for law-breakers. It remains to be seen how conservatives' loyalty to Trump will affect their response to a policy they would have opposed under other circumstances.

The House's foremost immigration hardliner, GOP Rep. Steve King of Iowa, made clear that he, for one, was not happy.

Addressing Trump over Twitter, King wrote that if the reports were true, "Trump base is blown up, destroyed, irreparable, and disillusioned beyond repair. No promise is credible."

Earlier Wednesday, during a White House meeting with moderate House members from both parties, Trump had urged lawmakers to come up with a bipartisan solution for the "Dreamers."

"We don't want to forget DACA," Trump told the members at the meeting. "We want to see if we can do something in a bipartisan fashion so that we can solve the DACA problem and other immigration problems."

Foreshadowing what was to take place later that evening, Trump said he would be open to separating the wall issue from the question of the younger immigrants, as long as the wall got dealt with eventually.

At Thursday night's dinner, "the president was clear he would press for the wall but separate from this agreement," said Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill.

The apparent deal is the latest example of Trump's sudden pivot to bipartisanship after months of railing against Democrats as "obstructionist." He has also urged them to join him in overhauling the nation's tax code, among other priorities.

Trump, who was deeply disappointed by Republicans' failure to make good on years of promises to repeal "Obamacare," infuriated many in his party last week when he reached a three-month deal with Schumer and Pelosi to raise the debt ceiling, keep the government running and speed relief to states affected by recent hurricanes.

"More and more we're trying to work things out together," Trump explained Wednesday, calling the development a "positive thing" for both parties.

"If you look at some of the greatest legislation ever passed, it was done on a bipartisan manner. And so that's what we're going to give a shot," he said.

The "Kumbaya" moment now appears to extend to the thorny issue of immigration, which has been vexing lawmakers for years. Funding for Trump's promised wall had been thought to be a major point of contention between Republicans and Democrats as they attempted to forge a deal — yet by Thursday, Trump was apparently ready to deal even on that issue, the one that most defined his campaign for president last year.</s>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump denied Thursday an assertion by Congress' top two Democrats that they reached an agreement with him that would preserve protections for young immigrants in the U.S. illegally while providing border security enhancements, but not the Southern wall he has coveted.

"No deal was made last night on DACA," known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Trump tweeted before daybreak Thursday, contracting a characterization of a private White House dinner Wednesday night by his guests, Sen. Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

"Massive border security would have to be agreed to in exchange for consent. Would be subject to vote," Trump said in one of a series of posts to his Twitter account."

Hours earlier, shortly after the conclusion of the dinner, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had pushed back against the Schumer-Pelosi statement embracing the claim of a deal. Sanders reiterated that point Thursday, saying, "While DACA and border security were both discussed, excluding the wall was certainly not agreed to."

It was a bizarre turn of events for a president who's been inclined recently to turn to Democrats to jump-start legislative imperatives, and it came just days after Trump and the Democratic leaders agreed to back a three-month extension of the debt limit in order to speed federal financial assistance to hurricane-ravaged Southern states.

"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 said in one of Thursday's stream of tweets. But he also voiced sympathy for the hundreds of thousands of younger immigrants vulnerable to deportation even though they were brought to the United States as toddlers or young children. He had announced last week that his administration was rescinding the DACA program, launched by President Barack Obama, and gave Congress 60 months to address the issue.

"Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military, really?" he tweeted. "They have been in our country for many years through no fault of their own - brought in by parents at a young age. Plus BIG border security."

The agreement claimed by Schumer and Pelosi represents the latest instance of Trump ditching his own party to make common cause with the opposition.

"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," Pelosi and Schumer said in their joint statement.

In response to the White House's initial dissent to the Democratic statement, elosi spokesman Drew Hammill said that "the president was clear he would press for the wall but separate from this agreement."

Either way, it was the second time in two weeks that Trump cut out Republicans to reach a deal with Pelosi and Schumer. A person briefed on the meeting, who demanded anonymity to discuss it, said the deal specifies bipartisan legislation called the DREAM Act that provides eventual citizenship for the young immigrants.

House Republicans would normally rebel over such an approach, which many view as amnesty for law-breakers. It remains to be seen how conservatives' loyalty to Trump will affect their response to a policy they would have opposed under other circumstances.

The House's foremost immigration hardliner, GOP Rep. Steve King of Iowa, made clear that he, for one, was not happy.

Addressing Trump over Twitter, King wrote that if the reports were true, "Trump base is blown up, destroyed, irreparable, and disillusioned beyond repair. No promise is credible."

Earlier Wednesday, during a White House meeting with moderate House members from both parties, Trump had urged lawmakers to come up with a bipartisan solution for the "Dreamers."

"We don't want to forget DACA," Trump told the members at the meeting. "We want to see if we can do something in a bipartisan fashion so that we can solve the DACA problem and other immigration problems."

Foreshadowing what was to take place later that evening, Trump had said he would be open to separating the wall issue from the question of the younger immigrants, as long as the wall got dealt with eventually.

The apparent deal is the latest example of Trump's sudden pivot to bipartisanship after months of railing against Democrats as "obstructionist." He has also urged them to join him in overhauling the nation's tax code, among other priorities.

Trump, who was deeply disappointed by Republicans' failure to make good on years of promises to repeal "Obamacare," infuriated many in his party last week when he reached a three-month deal with Schumer and Pelosi to raise the debt ceiling, keep the government running and speed relief to states affected by recent hurricanes.

"More and more we're trying to work things out together," Trump explained Wednesday, calling the development a "positive thing" for both parties.

"If you look at some of the greatest legislation ever passed, it was done on a bipartisan manner. And so that's what we're going to give a shot," he said.

The "Kumbaya" moment now appears to extend to the thorny issue of immigration, which has been vexing lawmakers for years. Funding for Trump's promised wall had been thought to be a major point of contention between Republicans and Democrats as they attempted to forge a deal — yet by Thursday, Trump was apparently ready to deal even on that issue, the one that most defined his campaign for president last year.</s>President Donald Trump said Thursday that Republican congressional leaders were “very much on board” with negotiations to protect so-called “Dreamers”— hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought into the U.S. illegally — from deportation.

However, the president also vowed “there will be no amnesty” and pushed back against claims by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., that a deal had been reached at a White House dinner Wednesday night.

“We’re working on a plan subject to getting massive border controls. We’re working on a plan for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). People want to see that happen,” Trump told reporters in Florida while surveying damage from Hurricane Irma. He added: “‘I think we’re fairly close but we have to get massive border security.”

After Trump landed in Florida, he declared repeatedly, “If we don’t have a wall, we’re doing nothing.”

Schumer and Pelosi issued a joint statement following the dinner announcing a broad agreement on immigration. On the Senate floor Thursday morning, Schumer insisted that both sides were in agreement and there was no dispute.

“If you listen to the president’s comments this morning … it is clear that what Leader Pelosi and I put out last night was exactly accurate,” said Schumer. “We have reached an understanding on this issue. We have to work out details, and we can work together on a border security package with the White House and get DACA on the floor quickly.”

Indeed, in the face of ferocious pushback from conservative lawmakers and media outlets including Breitbart, run by former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, the White House appeared focused more on shaping presentation of the agreement, than on denying it outright.

“By no means was any deal ever reached,” White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters told reporters aboard Air Force One as the president traveled to Florida. “This is something that Congress needs to work on.”

But Breitbart was already labeling Trump “Amnesty Don.”

“The Trump administration will not be discussing amnesty,” Walters said. The president wants “a responsible path forward in immigration reform. That could include legal citizenship over a period of time. But absolutely by no means will this White House discuss amnesty,” she said, although most conservatives would consider “legal citizenship over a period of time” to meet the definition of amnesty.

The House’s foremost immigration hard-liner, Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, addressed Trump over Twitter, writing that if the reports were true, “Trump base is blown up, destroyed, irreparable, and disillusioned beyond repair. No promise is credible.”

Schumer and Pelosi said in a statement that the details on border security needed to be negotiated, that both sides agreed “the wall would not be any part of this agreement” and that Trump said he would pursue the wall later.

And soon after, Trump appeared to confirm that approach. “The wall will come later, we’re right now renovating large sections of wall, massive sections, making it brand new,” he told reporters before his Florida trip.

He also said Republican congressional leaders, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., favored his approach on the immigration program. “Ryan and McConnell agree with us on DACA,” Trump said, adding that he had spoken to them by telephone.

Ryan, meanwhile, was adamant after speaking with Trump and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly that no agreement had been reached.

“The president wasn’t negotiating a deal last night. The president was talking with Democratic leaders to get their perspectives,” he told reporters on Capitol Hill.

Republicans in Congress, meanwhile, tried to make sense of the confusion.

“Slow down the trains, there’s no agreement,” said Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., who warned” ”You can make a deal all you want, it’s got to get past the House and the Senate.”

In a series of tweets Thursday, Trump expressed empathy for the nearly 800,000 young people — many brought to the United States as toddlers or children — who were protected from deportation and given work permits under DACA.

“Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!” he tweeted Thursday.”

Trump announced last week that his administration was rescinding the program, but gave Congress six months to come up with a legislative fix.

The back-and-forth comes as the president has suddenly turned to Democrats to jump-start his legislative imperatives. Only days ago, Trump and the Democratic leaders agreed to back a three-month extension of the debt limit in order to speed hurricane assistance.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>President Trump on Thursday denied reports that he struck a "deal" overnight with top Democrats to protect so-called “Dreamers,” while insisting “massive border security would have to be agreed to in exchange for consent.”

Trump’s Twitter post was in response to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announcing after a dinner meeting at the White House that they had "agreed to a plan to work out an agreement to protect our nation’s DREAMers from deportation."

They also said "we would review border security measures that didn’t include building a wall."

The president clarified Thursday morning that he intends for the wall to be built -- and while he wants to helps Dreamers, there's no deal yet.

"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. "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."

Pelosi and Schumer called Wednesday night's dinner at the White House “very productive."

Shortly after their statement, the White House issued its own statement agreeing that the sit-down was productive, but the exclusion of the border wall "was certainly not agreed to."

Trump, before and after the dinner meeting, has voiced concern about the fate of the young illegal immigrants who had been protected under the Obama-era DACA program that he aims to reverse. The program shielded illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children from deportation. While Trump is rolling back the executive action that allowed it, he is giving Congress time to pass a legislative alternative -- a point he underscored Thursday.

"Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really! ... They have been in our country for many years through no fault of their own - brought in by parents at young age. Plus BIG border security," he tweeted.

Tensions between the White House and top Democrats remain on the issue, despite the dinner meeting.

Pelosi's Twitter account still has a pinned tweet that reads: "Trump’s cowardice is on full display today. His cruelty must not stand! #ProtectDREAMERS."

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said earlier Wednesday that Trump was “committed to the wall. It doesn’t have to be tied to DACA, but it's important and he will get it done.” (DACA refers to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-era program through which the children of illegal immigrants have been allowed to stay in the U.S.)

Matt House, Schumer’s communications director, responded on Twitter: “The President made clear he would continue pushing the wall, just not as part of this agreement.”

The New York Times cited a White House official who said Trump pushed for border wall funding at the meeting.

Beside the border wall issue, the Democrats said Trump agreed to enshrine protections for the nearly 800,000 immigrants brought illegally to this country as kids who had benefited from the DACA program.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, who also sat down with Pelosi to talk immigration Wednesday, said in an interview that deporting the so-called Dreamers was “not in our nation’s interest,” and said the president had “made the right call.”

“I wanted him to give us time. I didn’t want this to be rescinded on Day One and create chaos,” Ryan said, arguing the time would allow Congress to “come up with the right kind of consensus and compromise to fix this problem.”

The dinner took place in the White House’s Blue Room, sources told Fox News. The Congress members sat at a rectangular table with Trump at the head with Pelosi to his right, and Schumer to his left. Eleven people were in the room, sources said. The first half-hour addressed trade issues with China.

The meeting between the three came shortly after Trump overruled congressional Republicans and cut a deal with Democrats to raise the federal debt ceiling for three months. Some conservatives criticized the deal as a capitulation by Trump.

Trump, however, appears to see bipartisanship as a key to get legislation out of the starting gate.

“More and more we’re trying to work things out together,” Trump explained Wednesday, calling the development a “positive thing” for both parties.

“Some of the greatest legislation ever passed, it was done on a bipartisan manner. And so that is why we’re going to give it a shot,” Trump said.

Fox News' Chad Pergram and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Edmund DeMarche is a news editor for FoxNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @EDeMarche.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) – Democratic Congress leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi have announced a deal with President Donald Trump to protect young immigrants, and it will include border security but no wall.

It would enshrine protections for the nearly 800,000 immigrants who benefited from a program created by former President Barack Obama that Trump has announced he is ending.

The agreement was announced in a joint statement from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, following a dinner the pair had with Trump at the White House.

It marks the second time in two weeks that Trump has bypassed Republicans to deal with Pelosi and Schumer.

Stay with KRON4 for updates on this breaking news story on-air, online, and on the KRON4 app.

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In an official dinner hosted by the United States President, Donald Trump and leaders of the Democratic party Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi agree to fix DACA but disagree with the details, with Trump denying on Twitter the following day that a deal had been made which excluded funding for his proposed wall on the Mexico–United States border.