Trump Says DACA ‘Probably Dead,’ but Program Resumes

PALM BEACH, Fla.—President Trump says a program to protect immigrants brought into the U.S. illegally as children is “probably dead,” even as the government returns to accepting requests for renewal under the program.

The president tweeted on Sunday that “Democrats don’t really want it,” referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Obama-era initiative shields these individuals, commonly referred to as “Dreamers,” from deportation. Trump said last year that he’s killing the program unless Congress sends him legislation by March to keep it.

Trump last week rejected an immigration deal drafted by a bipartisan group of senators.

The deal included a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers” and $1.6 billion for border security, including Trump’s promised border wall.

Trump tweeted: “DACA is probably dead because the Democrats don’t really want it, they just want to talk and take desperately needed money away from our Military.”

On Saturday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it’s resumed accepting requests to renew a grant of deferred action under DACA.

The decision came four days after a federal judge, in a nod to pending lawsuits, temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s decision to end the program.

In a statement posted Saturday on its website, the USCIS said the policy will be operated under the terms in place before it was rescinded in September.

DACA has protected about 800,000 people, many of them college-age students.