Trump denies deal reached with Democrats on young immigrants' fate

Accra, Sept. 14 - (dpa/GNA) - President Donald Trump says "no deal" was made with Democrats on a programme that shields young migrants brought to the US illegally from deportation.

"No deal was made last night on DACA," Trump tweeted on Thursday, referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme.

Two top Democrats, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, announced after a meeting with Trump on Wednesday that, they had reached an agreement to safeguard the programme.

An earlier decision by Trump to phase out DACA puts at risk the status of hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who have lived in the US for most of their lives.

Initiated by Barack Obama in 2012, nearly 800,000 people had been approved for the programme, which protects participants from deportation and allows them to work or attend university.

"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," the statement from the Democratic leaders said, apparently referring to Trump's call for a wall along the Mexican border.

But Trump tweeted: "Massive border security would have to be agreed to in exchange for consent.

Would be subject to vote."
GNA