WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan urged President Donald Trump on Friday not to rescind an Obama-era program that protects immigrants who entered the United States illegally as children, as more Republicans lined up against the move.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Trump will announce on Tuesday whether he will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, which protects nearly 800,000 young men and women from deportation. It also makes those covered, so-called Dreamers, eligible for work permits.

“We love the ‘Dreamers,’” the Republican president, already facing calls from leading business figures and Democrats to preserve the program, told reporters in the Oval Office, without tipping his hand on the decision.

Ryan and Senator Orrin Hatch on Friday joined a small but growing number of lawmakers from the party that controls Congress and the White House to speak out against killing DACA, created in 2012 by Democratic former President Barack Obama and long the target of conservative immigration hard-liners.

“I actually don’t think he should do that, and I believe that this is something Congress has to fix,” Ryan said in an interview with WCLO radio in his hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin.

Ryan said he believes Obama exceeded his authority in creating DACA by executive order, bypassing Congress, but there now are “people who are in limbo.”

“These are kids who know no other country, who were brought here by their parents and don’t know another home. And so I really do believe that there needs to be a legislative solution. That’s one that we’re working on. And I think we want to give people peace of mind,” Ryan added.

Nancy Pelosi, the top House Democrat, said she was “heartened” by Ryan’s comments and asked him to meet with Democratic lawmakers next week to discuss a “comprehensive legislative solution.”

Hatch said in a statement rescinding the program would further complicate a U.S. immigration system sorely in need of legislative reform.

“Like the president, I’ve long advocated for tougher enforcement of our existing immigration laws. But we also need a workable, permanent solution for individuals who entered our country unlawfully as children through no fault of their own and who have built their lives here. And that solution must come from Congress,” the longest-serving Republican senator added.

Tennessee’s Republican attorney general, Herbert Slatery, said his office will not participate in a lawsuit challenging DACA that is expected to be filed by a group of Republican state attorneys general next week, and urged Congress to pursue a legislative fix.

“Many of the DACA recipients, some of whose records I reviewed, have outstanding accomplishments and laudable ambitions, which if achieved, will be of great benefit and service to our country,” Slatery wrote in a letter to Tennessee’s two Republican U.S. senators.

About 200 Dreamers and their supporters turned out on Friday for a rally in downtown Los Angeles to urge national leaders not to end the program.

Among them was Docnary Reyes, 21, who came to the United States from Guatemala with her parents in 1997 when she was a toddler. Before obtaining DACA in 2014, Reyes had to work under-the-table cleaning apartments, she said.

Her work authorization allowed her to obtain a paid internship last year working on a project involving cyanobacteria. The Los Angeles resident will continue her education at the University of California, Davis, to study environmental restoration.

“I feel like I really care about our environment and not enough people do,” Reyes said.

FILE PHOTO: House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 27, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

‘TUG OF WAR’

Trump made a crackdown on illegal immigrants a centerpiece of his 2016 election campaign and has stepped up deportations since taking office in January. But business leaders say immigrants make important economic contributions and that ending the program would hit economic growth and tax revenue.

Leading business figures including Facebook Inc (FB.O) CEO Mark Zuckerberg have rallied in defense of the program and the Dreamers.

Congress under presidents of both parties has been unable to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Spokeswoman Sanders said Trump, who previously has called DACA illegal, is not taking the decision lightly.

“The president’s priorities on immigration are to create a system that encourages legal immigration and benefits our economy and American workers,” Sanders told a news briefing.

Most of the Dreamer immigrants came from Mexico and other Latin American countries. More than 200,000 live in California, while 100,000 are in Texas. New York, Illinois and Florida also have large numbers.

What to do about Dreamers has been actively debated within the White House and Trump administration. One senior administration official described the debate as a “tug of war” between factions in favor and against the move.

DACA supporters argue that the people it protects grew up and were educated in the United States and were integrated into American society, with little connection to the countries in which they are citizens. Opponents of the program argue that illegal immigrants take jobs from U.S. citizens.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at the White House after a trip to Springfield, Missouri, in Washington D.C., August 30, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

There are deep divisions in the United States over the fate of roughly 11 million illegal immigrants, most of them Hispanics. Trump as a candidate promised to deport all of them.

Undoing DACA could have political consequences for Trump and his fellow Republicans, further alienating Hispanics, a growing voting bloc in the United States. Trump’s pardon for an Arizona sheriff who critics accused of targeting Hispanics, his planned wall along the U.S.-Mexican border and his comments about Mexico sending “rapists” and drug dealers into the United States already had antagonized many Hispanic Americans.</s>House Speaker Paul Ryan on Friday gave a major boost to legislative efforts to preserve protections for young undocumented immigrants — and urged President Donald Trump to not tear up the program.

Responding to a question about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, on his hometown radio station WCLO in Janesville, Wisconsin, Ryan said Congress was working on a legislative fix to preserve the problem.

“I actually don’t think he should do that,” Ryan said of Trump’s consideration of terminating the program. “I believe that this is something that Congress has to fix.”

Ryan’s statement offers the most public support by anyone in the Republican congressional leadership for some sort of legislation to protect the “Dreamers” under DACA.

The popular Obama administration program — which gives protections from deportation to undocumented immigrants that were brought to the US as children to work or study — has long been targeted by Republicans as an overreach of executive authority.

Nevertheless, a number of moderate Republicans alongside Democrats support the program and have offered legislation that would make the protections permanent.

Ryan, who worked on comprehensive immigration reform before he became part of House leadership, endorsed that approach in the interview.

“President (Barack) Obama does not have the authority to do what he did … we’ve made that very clear,” Ryan said in the radio interview. “Having said all of that, there are people who are in limbo. These are kids who know no other country, who were brought here by their parents and don’t know another home. And so I really do believe there that there needs to be a legislative solution.”

The Trump administration has been discussing for weeks what to do about DACA, responding to the deadline on an ultimatum issued by 10 state attorneys general, led by Texas. The threat: Sunset DACA by September 5 or the states will try to end it in court.

Discussions have heated up this week as officials have met to chart a path forward. While a decision had been possible Friday, sources familiar with the deliberations did not expect a decision Friday.

Sources inside and outside the administration said the White House continues to explore buying itself time and is also considering allowing the attorneys general to proceed with their threat.

That course of action could potentially remove pressure from the White House, where the President has promised to act with “heart” on the matter and give Congress time to pass a legislative fix, and one source said it was under consideration.

Any action by the President to sunset DACA would put immediate pressure on Congress to act, something the White House and a senior congressional source recognize would be a challenge with many other pressing priorities at the moment, from Harvey relief to the debt ceiling to government spending. A go-slow approach on DACA is preferred, the congressional source added.</s>House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan urged President Donald Trump on Friday not to rescind an Obama-era programme that protects immigrants who entered the United States illegally as children, joining business leaders and others opposing the move.

WASHINGTON: House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan urged President Donald Trump on Friday not to rescind an Obama-era programme that protects immigrants who entered the United States illegally as children, joining business leaders and others opposing the move.

The Republican president said he would announce by Monday whether to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, programme that protects nearly 800,000 people from deportation. It also makes those covered, so-called Dreamers, eligible for work permits.

"We love the 'Dreamers,'" Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

Ryan and Senator Orrin Hatch, both Republicans, on Friday joined a small but growing number of lawmakers from the majority party to speak out against killing DACA, created in 2012 by Democratic former President Barack Obama's executive order and long the target of immigration hard-liners.

"I actually don't think he should do that, and I believe that this is something Congress has to fix," Ryan said in an interview with WCLO radio in his hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin.

"These are kids who know no other country, who were brought here by their parents and don't know another home. And so I really do believe that there needs to be a legislative solution. That's one that we're working on. And I think we want to give people peace of mind," Ryan added.

Hatch said in a statement rescinding the programme would further complicate a U.S. immigration system sorely in need of legislative reform.

"Like the president, I've long advocated for tougher enforcement of our existing immigration laws. But we also need a workable, permanent solution for individuals who entered our country unlawfully as children through no fault of their own and who have built their lives here. And that solution must come from Congress," Hatch said.

Trump made a crackdown on illegal immigrants a centrepiece of his 2016 election campaign and has stepped up deportations since taking office in January. But business leaders say immigrants make important economic contributions and that ending the programme would hit economic growth and tax revenue.

Congress under presidents of both parties has been unable to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Obama in 2014 signed an order providing similar protections as DACA to millions of additional illegal immigrants who were parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, but a group of Republican states led by Texas blocked it with a lawsuit that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Most of the Dreamer immigrants came from Mexico and other Latin American countries. More than 200,000 live in California, while 100,000 are in Texas. New York, Illinois and Florida also have large numbers.

What to do about Dreamers has been actively debated within the White House and Trump administration. One senior administration official described the debate as a "tug of war" between factions in favour and against the move.

Leading business figures including Facebook Inc CEO Mark Zuckerberg have rallied in defence of the programme and the Dreamers.

"These young people represent the future of our country and our economy. They are our friends and family, students and young leaders in our communities," Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook posting late on Thursday.

DACA supporters argue that the people it protects grew up and were educated in the United States and were integrated into American society, with little connection to the countries in which they are citizens. Opponents of the programme argue that illegal immigrants take jobs from U.S. citizens.

There are deep divisions in the United States over the fate of roughly 11 million illegal immigrants, most of them Hispanics. Trump as a candidate promised to deport all of them.

Trump in February, four weeks after taking office, signalled he was conflicted over the DACA programme, telling a news conference he would "deal with DACA with heart" and calling the matter "one of the most difficult subjects I have." Trump said "some absolutely incredible kids" were among those covered by DACA, but also gang members and drug dealers.</s>House Speaker Paul Ryan on Friday gave a major boost to legislative efforts to preserve protections for young undocumented immigrants — and urged President Donald Trump to not tear up the program.

Trump told reporters Friday he was still mulling the decision. The White House press secretary said a decision would be announced Tuesday.

Responding to a question about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, on his hometown radio station WCLO in Janesville, Wisconsin, Ryan said Congress was working on a legislative fix to preserve the program.

“I actually don’t think he should do that,” Ryan said of Trump’s consideration of terminating the program. “I believe that this is something that Congress has to fix.”

Ryan’s statement offers the most public support by anyone in the Republican congressional leadership for some sort of legislation to protect the “Dreamers” under DACA.

Asked about Ryan’s comments and a timeline for making an announcement, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders would only say the decision is still being finalized.

“We’re in the process of finalizing that decision and those details, and we’ll announce that on Tuesday,” Sanders said.

She added the decision is “weighing on” Trump.

“He’s making sure he takes the diligent time and effort and attention that this very important issue deserves,” she said.

The popular Obama administration program — which gives protections from deportation to undocumented immigrants that were brought to the US as children to work or study — has long been targeted by Republicans as an overreach of executive authority.

Nevertheless, a number of moderate Republicans alongside Democrats support the program and have offered legislation that would make the protections permanent.

Ryan, who worked on comprehensive immigration reform before he became part of House leadership, endorsed that approach in the interview.

“President (Barack) Obama does not have the authority to do what he did … we’ve made that very clear,” Ryan said in the radio interview. “Having said all of that, there are people who are in limbo. These are kids who know no other country, who were brought here by their parents and don’t know another home. And so I really do believe there that there needs to be a legislative solution.”

Asked whether he’s made a decision on DACA, Trump said: “Sometime today, maybe over the weekend.”

“We love the Dreamers,” he said.

The Trump administration has been discussing for weeks what to do about DACA, responding to the deadline on an ultimatum issued by 10 state attorneys general, led by Texas. The threat: Sunset DACA by September 5 or the states will try to end it in court.

Discussions have heated up this week as officials have met to chart a path forward. While a decision had been possible Friday, and one source familiar had believed a decision was pending Friday morning, by midday, sources familiar with the deliberations did not expect a decision before the weekend. Later, Sanders set the new timeline of Tuesday.

Parts of the Department of Homeland Security, which administers DACA, have been told to prepare for a decision but have not been given any potential details of what a decision may be.

Sources inside and outside the administration said the White House continues to explore buying itself time and is also considering allowing the attorneys general to proceed with their threat.

That course of action could potentially remove pressure from the White House, where the President has promised to act with “heart” on the matter and give Congress time to pass a legislative fix, and one source said it was under consideration.

Any action by the President to sunset DACA would put immediate pressure on Congress to act, something the White House and a senior congressional source recognize would be a challenge with many other pressing priorities at the moment, from Harvey relief to the debt ceiling to government spending. A go-slow approach on DACA is preferred, the congressional source added.

Ryan has long been sympathetic to the plight of Dreamers. At a CNN town hall at the beginning of the year, Ryan was asked by a young woman protected under DACA whether he wanted her deported. He said he was working with the Trump administration and seeking a “humane solution.”

“What we have to do is find a way to ensure that you can get right with the law,” the speaker told the young woman.

Nevertheless, Ryan has also voted alongside Republicans for years in efforts to strip funding from deferred action or end it, and Ryan’s office emphasized he is not supportive of the executive version of the program.

Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong emphasized after the interview: “The speaker does not agree with President Obama’s DACA overreach. He believes it is Congress’s responsibility to set immigration law.”

That woman from the town hall, Angelica Villalobos, told CNN Friday that she hopes Ryan’s comments aren’t “too late.”

“He did nothing for the last eight months,” Villalobos said. “I feel like it’s a last-ditch effort, saying something about DACA. I don’t know if it’s a little too late. And I really hope and I wish that he done or said something sooner. No matter what happens, Ryan is just as responsible as Trump if we lose DACA protection.”

Until now, leadership has not helped the push by moderate Republicans to advance legislation to do so. Four different options have been introduced in Congress, including two bipartisan solutions led by Sens. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, and Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat. Another proposal from Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo has entirely Republican support and is expected to be introduced in a similar form in the Senate by North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis.

In addition to Ryan’s endorsement, another conservative boost on Friday came from Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, a staunch conservative who has in the past supported immigration reform.

“I’ve urged the President not to rescind DACA, an action that would further complicate a system in serious need of a permanent, legislative solution,” Hatch said in a statement. “Like the President, I’ve long advocated for tougher enforcement of our existing immigration laws. But we also need a workable, permanent solution for individuals who entered our country unlawfully as children through no fault of their own and who have built their lives here. And that solution must come from Congress.”

According to an aide, Hatch called Trump Thursday to talk DACA. Hatch’s “focus was explaining to POTUS that rescinding now would make the situation more complicated, and Congress should take the lead on a permanent solution,” the aide said, adding: “Those talks are already happening.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office did not have anything immediately on where DACA stands in the Senate.

Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman, a moderate Republican, announced on Thursday he would try to force a vote on one of the bipartisan bills when Congress returns next week through what’s known as a discharge petition, which would require a majority of House members to sign on to work. The speaker’s office had no comment on that effort.

The bill Coffman is supporting would give DACA-like protections to qualified applicants for three years, but would require renewal by Congress to continue after that.

DACA currently awards renewable two-year permits to applicants who meet the requirements.</s>(CNN) House Speaker Paul Ryan on Friday gave a major boost to legislative efforts to preserve protections for young undocumented immigrants -- and urged President Donald Trump to not tear up the program.

Trump told reporters Friday he was still mulling the decision.

Responding to a question about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, on his hometown radio station WCLO in Janesville, Wisconsin, Ryan said Congress was working on a legislative fix to preserve the program.

"I actually don't think he should do that," Ryan said of Trump's consideration of terminating the program. "I believe that this is something that Congress has to fix."

Ryan's statement offers the most public support by anyone in the Republican congressional leadership for some sort of legislation to protect the "Dreamers" under DACA.

The popular Obama administration program -- which gives protections from deportation to undocumented immigrants that were brought to the US as children to work or study -- has long been targeted by Republicans as an overreach of executive authority.

Nevertheless, a number of moderate Republicans alongside Democrats support the program and have offered legislation that would make the protections permanent.

Ryan, who worked on comprehensive immigration reform before he became part of House leadership, endorsed that approach in the interview.

"President (Barack) Obama does not have the authority to do what he did ... we've made that very clear," Ryan said in the radio interview. "Having said all of that, there are people who are in limbo. These are kids who know no other country, who were brought here by their parents and don't know another home. And so I really do believe there that there needs to be a legislative solution."

Asked whether he's made a decision on DACA, Trump said: "Sometime today, maybe over the weekend."

"We love the Dreamers," he said.

The Trump administration has been discussing for weeks what to do about DACA, responding to the deadline on an ultimatum issued by 10 state attorneys general, led by Texas. The threat: Sunset DACA by September 5 or the states will try to end it in court.

Discussions have heated up this week as officials have met to chart a path forward. While a decision had been possible Friday, and one source familiar had believed a decision was pending Friday morning, by midday, sources familiar with the deliberations did not expect a decision before the weekend.

Parts of the Department of Homeland Security, which administers DACA, have been told to prepare for a decision but have not been given any potential details of what a decision may be.

That course of action could potentially remove pressure from the White House, where the President has promised to act with "heart" on the matter and give Congress time to pass a legislative fix, and one source said it was under consideration.

Any action by the President to sunset DACA would put immediate pressure on Congress to act, something the White House and a senior congressional source recognize would be a challenge with many other pressing priorities at the moment, from Harvey relief to the debt ceiling to government spending. A go-slow approach on DACA is preferred, the congressional source added.

Ryan has long been sympathetic to the plight of Dreamers. At a CNN town hall at the beginning of the year, Ryan was asked by a young woman protected under DACA whether he wanted her deported. He said he was working with the Trump administration and seeking a "humane solution."

"What we have to do is find a way to ensure that you can get right with the law," the speaker told the young woman.

But until now, leadership has not helped the push by moderate Republicans to advance legislation to do so. Four different options have been introduced in Congress, including two bipartisan solutions led by Sens. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, and Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat. Another proposal from Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo has entirely Republican support and is expected to be introduced in a similar form in the Senate by North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis.

In addition to Ryan's endorsement, another conservative boost on Friday came from Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, a staunch conservative who has in the past supported immigration reform.

"I've urged the President not to rescind DACA, an action that would further complicate a system in serious need of a permanent, legislative solution," Hatch said in a statement. "Like the President, I've long advocated for tougher enforcement of our existing immigration laws. But we also need a workable, permanent solution for individuals who entered our country unlawfully as children through no fault of their own and who have built their lives here. And that solution must come from Congress."

Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman, a moderate Republican, announced on Thursday he would try to force a vote on one of the bipartisan bills when Congress returns next week through what's known as a discharge petition, which would require a majority of House members to sign on to work. The speaker's office had no comment on that effort.

The bill Coffman is supporting would give DACA-like protections to qualified applicants for three years, but would require renewal by Congress to continue after that.

DACA currently awards renewable two-year permits to applicants who meet the requirements.</s>DENVER (CBS4)– Thousands of Coloradans are at risk of losing work permits and protection from deportation if the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, is eliminated.

Gov. John Hickenlooper, state lawmakers and dozens of young immigrants and activists urged President Donald Trump on Friday to keep federal protections for immigrant children whose parents brought them to the U.S. illegally.

Mr. Trump is facing increasing pressure from CEOs, Roman Catholic bishops, celebrities and a national mobilization effort as he weighs eliminating an Obama-era program that shields young immigrants from deportation.

The last-ditch effort has taken on greater urgency in recent days amid reports that the White House may end the program as soon as Friday. It as later revealed that Pres. Trump will make his decision on DREAMERS and announce it on Tuesday, the day after the Labor Day holiday weekend.

President Barack Obama in 2012 created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that has allowed nearly 800,000 immigrants brought to the country illegally as children to remain in the U.S. and legally work.

If DACA is eliminated, 17,000 Coloradans are at risk of losing their work permits.

Hickenlooper, Democratic House Speaker Crisanta Duran and others spoke in favor of the program, known as DACA, at the state capitol. Several immigrants spoke of uncertainty they were experiencing as Trump decided whether to extend the program, enacted by executive order by Obama.

“Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals was more than just a work permit, it was an avenue for me and others like myself, to get another opportunity. It was a step out of the shadows, realizing what it is like to live without fear and it felt good. And I’m not going back to that,” said DACA recipient Salvador Hernandez.

Hickenlooper urged Congress to act on immigration reform. Pending legislation would provide a path toward permanent legal status for the nearly 800,000 people brought to the U.S. as children without authorization.

“Congress has still yet to agree on how to fix our broken immigration system. Law-abiding DREAMERS deserve the chance to realize their potential in the only country they’ve ever known,” said Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Trump railed against the Obama program on the campaign trail, calling it illegal “amnesty.” He later said it’s been one of the most difficult issues he’s dealt with.

 Republican officials from 10 states have threatened to bring a lawsuit to stop the program, giving the Trump administration a Sept. 5 deadline to act.

To qualify, immigrants must have no criminal records and proof that they were brought to the U.S. before they reached age 16. Their work permits and protection from deportation must be renewed every two years.</s>WASHINGTON ― House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Friday that President Donald Trump should not terminate a program protecting young undocumented immigrants who come to the U.S. as children, even though he and other Republicans have repeatedly tried to end it in Congress.

WASHINGTON ― House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Friday that President Donald Trump should not terminate a program protecting young undocumented immigrants who come to the U.S. as children, even though he and other Republicans have repeatedly tried to end it in Congress.

“I actually don’t think he should do that,” Ryan said in a radio interview, regarding reports that Trump will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which could be killed as early as Friday. “I believe that this is something that Congress has to fix.”

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Friday afternoon that Trump will announce a decision on DACA, which has allowed nearly 800,000 so-called “Dreamers” to receive two-year work permits and deportation reprieve, on Tuesday. Attorneys general from 10 states threatened the president with legal action if he doesn’t terminate the program by Sept. 5, and there were reports on Thursday and Friday that he plans to do so, although the White House has said it is still under review.

Ryan is a longtime opponent of DACA. Speaking to the radio station WCLO in Janesville, Wisconsin, on Friday, he said that President Barack Obama, who created the program in 2012, “did not have the legislative authority to do what he did” and that presidents cannot “write law out of thin air.”

“Having said all of that, there are people in limbo,” Ryan added. “These are kids that know no other country, who were brought here by their parents and don’t know another home, and so I really do believe there needs to be a legislative solution, that’s one that we’re working on.”

Trump vowed during his presidential campaign to end DACA, which he, like Ryan and other Republicans, has said is unconstitutional. If he followed through, current recipients would be unable to work legally and would be at risk of deportation. Although the Trump administration has said its focus is deporting criminals, it routinely detains other undocumented immigrants it encounters as well ― Dreamers among them.

Ending the program would also put intense pressure on Republicans in Congress to pass legislation to protect Dreamers, which many of them have opposed in the past. Along with attempting to end DACA, Ryan voted in 2010 against the Dream Act, which would give a path to citizenship to Dreamers, and declined to hold a vote on comprehensive immigration reform. He, like Trump, has also stated general support for Dreamers and allowing them to remain in the country.

Other Republicans have also voiced support for maintaining DACA as Trump weighs ending the program. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), an original sponsor of the Dream Act in 2001 who opposed it in 2010, issued a statement on Friday saying he had urged Trump not to terminate DACA and would work on legislation to help Dreamers.

Other Republicans have already backed legislation to give protections to Dreamers. Three Senate Republicans ― Sens. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) ― are co-sponsors of the 2017 iteration of the Dream Act, which was also introduced in the House with support from two Republicans, Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.).

Groups of Republicans have also pushed for the Bridge Act, which would be a stopgap measure to temporarily extend Dreamers’ protections until a longer-term solution could be reached. Coffman said Thursday that he would attempt to force a vote on the bill.

Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) recently introduced the Recognizing America’s Children, or RAC Act, which would create a path to citizenship to Dreamers but with more restrictions than the Dream Act. He has 18 co-sponsors, all of them Republicans, including Coffman and Ros-Lehtinen.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) reportedly plans to introduce a similar bill to the RAC Act.

Republicans have previously said any legal status for undocumented immigrants must be coupled with other measures, such as increased border security and interior enforcement. Top White House officials reportedly were considering pushing for a deal that would give protections to Dreamers in exchange for border wall funding, slashing legal immigration and putting more requirements on employers to check immigration status of hires.

Democrats have agreed in the past to tie enforcement and border security measures to legal status for undocumented immigrants, as they did in the 2013 comprehensive immigration reform bill. But they will only go so far. Leading Democrats immediately shot down the reported deal under consideration by White House officials, saying Dreamers should not be used as a bargaining chip.</s>The White House said Friday that President Donald Trump would announce a decision Tuesday on the fate of hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children — immigrants the president called "terrific" and said he loved.

"We love the dreamers, we love everybody," Trump told reporters Friday, using a shorthand term for the nearly 800,000 young people who were given a reprieve from deportation and temporary work permits under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program created by the Obama administration.

Asked what he would say to young immigrants who were awaiting his move, scared about their fate, he replied: "I think the dreamers are terrific."

Trump has been torn over what to do with DACA as he faces a Tuesday deadline set by a group of Republican state lawmakers who are threatening to challenge the program in court unless Trump ends it by that date.

"I think the decision itself is weighing on him, certainly," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Friday.

Trump had slammed the program as illegal "amnesty" during his campaign and pledged to end it on his first day in office. But he has changed his rhetoric since the election, telling those covered they could "rest easy" and continuing to grant new two-year, renewable work permits.

Trump has spent the last week repeatedly cycling through his choices, according to several people with knowledge of the deliberations. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.

Many DACA advocates still expect the president to announce that he will halt the issuance of new work permits under the program, effectively phasing it out.

Another option under consideration would be for the White House to announce that it will allow the lawsuit to go forward and decline to have the Justice Department defend DACA in court, taking the matter out of their hands.

One person familiar with the discussions said the president was likely ultimately to choose to end or phase out the program. But the person said the president was looking for ways to soften the blow, such as ending the program at a future date in order to giving Congress time to come up with an alternative protection.

In the meantime, advocates and lawmakers have been trying to apply last-minute pressure with Twitter messages, public comments and events.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said he hoped the president would choose not to roll back DACA protections and instead give Congress time to act.

"These are kids who know no other country, who are brought here by their parents and don't know another home. And so I really do believe that there needs to be a legislative solution," he told Wisconsin radio station WCLO.

Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch also urged Trump not to revoke former President Barack Obama's efforts to protect "individuals who entered our country unlawfully as children through no fault of their own and who have built their lives here."

Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday that he had a "great feeling for DACA" and said he'd be announcing a decision as soon as Friday afternoon and by Monday, at the latest.

Sanders later told reporters the White House was "in the process of finalizing" its decision and would be announcing it Tuesday.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’ll announce a decision on the fate of hundreds of thousands of young people who were brought into the country illegally as children Friday afternoon or over the weekend.

Trump’s remarks came as he signed a proclamation declaring Sunday a national day of prayer for the victims of Harvey.

At issue is the fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The DACA program has given nearly 800,000 young immigrants a reprieve from deportation and the ability to work in the country.

Trump called the program illegal “amnesty’ during his campaign but has been torn since he took office.

He’s faces a September 5 deadline from Republican state lawmakers trying to force his hand.

House Speaker Paul Ryan and another Republican are urging President Donald Trump not to rescind federal protections for immigrant children whose parents brought them to the country illegally.

Ryan was asked about Trump’s rumored move to roll back protections for such children on Wisconsin radio station WCLO. Ryan said, “I actually don’t think we should do that.”

Ryan says, “This is something that Congress has to fix.”

And Utah GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch sent out a statement in anticipation of a Trump announcement on Friday saying he’s urged Trump not to revoke former President Barack Obama’s efforts to protect “individuals who entered our country unlawfully as children through no fault of their own and who have built their lives here.”</s>The program created by President Barack Obama to protect young people brought to this country illegally as children may — or may not — end.

White House officials have told some news outlets that President Donald Trump is close to ending the program, which requires applicants to renew for protective status every two years.

Across the nation, supporters of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA, have staged protests and urgent press calls to tout the benefits of the program. On Friday, House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republican leaders joined in that plea, urging Trump to not end the program.

Some DACA recipients and immigrant-rights advocates on the West Coast set their alarms to 5 a.m. Friday, anxious to check their phones for any morning news on the East Coast — especially Trump’s Twitter account.

By mid-day, there was still no word. Later, news reports suggested Trump would announce a decision on Tuesday, but nothing is official.

“It’s hard to predict because we’re dealing with a president who is so unpredictable,” said Sally Kinoshita, deputy director for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in San Francisco.

Nearly 800,000 young people across the nation have a temporary reprieve from deportation, along with a work permit, thanks to the DACA program President Obama created in 2012 via executive order.

They are students and workers and teachers and — in a few cases — they are attorneys.

California is home to the largest number: nearly 223,000 and an estimated 118,000 to 130,000 live in Southern California.

They include people like Zuleyma and Saira Barajas, Van Nuys sisters who were brought illegally to California as children.

“(DACA) was life changing in many ways,” said Zuleyma Barajas, 27.

Through the program, she got a driver’s license, a social security number and a work permit that allows her to drive for a rideshare company. She’s also pursuing her dream as a freelance photographer, focusing on nature shots, and on occasion, even traveling across states without fear that contact with authorities could result in deportation.

“Before DACA, it was very hard because I couldn’t just apply anywhere,” she said. “My dream job is to travel the world as a photographer.

But it’s not just DACA recipients or their families who are affected.

It’s also the businesses that employ them. The schools they attend. And in the case of the 190 teachers with DACA status who are or have gone through the Teach for America leadership program, it’s “every life they touch,” said Kathryn Phillips, the organization’s spokeswoman.

“If DACA were to end today, 10,000 students would lose their teachers in 11 states from Teach America alone,” she said.

What will Trump do?

The reports circulating widely say that Trump plans to end DACA and allow those who have the protection now to continue it until it expires, up to two years.

That’s pretty close to what Jessica Vaughan believes would be the best option. Vaughan is the director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for lower immigration to the country.

“The DACA program has to be shut down because it was improper and an abuse of executive authority,” Vaughan said. “Only Congress has the authority to create a true legal status for the DACA recipients, and if it does, it should be offset with cuts in legal immigration.

Trump is under pressure by attorney generals in Texas and nine other states to end the Obama-era program. The states gave Trump an ultimatum: take action to shut it down by Tuesday, Sept. 5, or they would pursue the matter in federal court.

Legal experts from the National Immigration Law Center and other organizations on Friday said there is political pressure but no real imminent deadline forcing the president’s hand.

States opposed to Obama’s executive actions already had blocked the former president’s plan to expand DACA and provide similar protection to the unauthorized immigrant parents of American-born children. Opponents argued the orders were unconstitutional and overstepped presidential powers.

There is also the matter of a promise.

During his campaign for presidency, he didn’t just promise to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. He promised to end DACA “on day one.” Once he became president, however, he seemed to waffle.

The president appears to have struggled with the issue.

At one point, he said he would “work something out.” He also called DACA “a very, very difficult subject for me,” labeling the young recipients “incredible kids.”

What would happen if DACA dies?

If the president kills the DACA program, the issue could find its way back into court or before a deeply divided Congress.

In D.C., some legislators have scrambled in recent months to find a legislative fix, including new versions of the failed DREAM Act, first proposed in 2001 to protect minors who entered the country illegally.

On Thursday, one House Republican launched an effort to force a vote on legislation that would protect the DACA recipients, commonly referred to as “Dreamers.” Other conservative lawmakers are crafting a new bill they call the conservative Dream Act, offering a path to citizenship to those who entered illegally before Jan. 1 2012 and were 16 or younger at the time.

Whether the matter is further pursued via the legal system is also possible.

“Just like there have been states that filed a lawsuit when President Obama gave an executive order and said he exceeded his authority and harmed them, states could say they have been harmed (by ending DACA,) and argue the program was beneficial,” said Orange County-based attorney Annaluisa Padilla, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

But it could be difficult, she said.

“There’s no statutory base for a lawsuit because it was an executive order,” Padilla said.

Kinoshita, of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, said how the matter could play out in the court system depends on how the end of the program is implemented.

“But it’s going to be fought not just in the courts,” Kinoshita said. “It will be fought in churches, in schools, in workplaces. People will respond.”

In California, the fight is already on

California is home to the largest number of unauthorized immigrants: estimated at more than 2.3 million.

To the chagrin of many conservative voters, a liberal state Legislature has aggressively moved in recent years to create laws that protect this group. These include driver licenses and the ability to apply for a professional license. And specifically for “Dreamers,” the benefits include in-state college tuition and a loan program at the University of California and California State University systems.

Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, wants to offer the so-called “Dreamers” additional protection should DACA go away.

“Their future is on the line,” Lara said. “For all intents and purposes, the Dreamers are Americans.”

If they’re hurt, so is the American economy, Lara said.

The senator, whose father crossed illegally into the United States as a young man, introduced earlier this year a bill that would help undocumented students not covered by DACA and attending a community college, CSU or UC campus receive grants, fee waivers or reimbursements for doing volunteer hours.

Lara said he’s also looking at how a law that allows unauthorized immigrants to get professional licenses could be expanded so that people who lose their work permit under DACA can continue to work.

Ending DACA would send the wrong message, immigrant rights advocates said.

“The government would be saying to the wider immigrant community that they don’t appreciate their fiscal, social, educational and cultural contributions,” Kinoshita said.

“It also sends a message that a white supremacy agenda is winning, as it comes on the heels of Charlottesville and the pardoning of (Arizona Sheriff Joe) Arpaio.”

But many others argue that ending DACA has nothing to do with racism. Instead, they say, it’s about upholding the country’s laws and respecting its boundaries.

“There is no message being sent by President Trump that he does not appreciate the contributions of immigrants. Remember, he is married to an immigrant,” said Robin Hvidston, president of the conservative Claremont-based We the People Rising.

“To claim that this is an issue of white supremacy is ludicrous,” Hvidston said.

Betty Robinson, the group’s Orange County political activities director and long-time activist against illegal immigration, said: “Ending DACA would protect American lives and jobs. This has nothing to do with that new catch phrase, ‘white supremacists’. It has everything to do with abiding by our laws and immigrants coming to our country in a legal manner.”

In the end, the people most affected are the ones who call themselves “DACA-mented.”

For Manny Jimenez, 20, it could mean the loss of his job working dispatch for a technology company. The Santa Monica College student, a Nicaraguan native, helps support his mother.

If it goes away, what will he do?

“I just don’t know,” he said.

Jimenez hasn’t yet come up with Plan B.
Paul Ryan (R-WI), U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives, urges President Donald Trump not to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that protects immigrants who illegally entered the U.S. as children from deportation.