In exchange for funding for the U.S.-Mexico border wall, President Donald Trump has proposed providing a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, known as Dreamers.
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The new proposal recommends giving an estimated 1.8 million Dreamers the opportunity to apply for citizenship in exchange for $25B to expand the Mexican border wall. The deal would also include the implementation of other immigration changes, including restrictions on family-based immigration and an end to the lottery system, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Trump ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program in September, but Congress has until March 5 to find a suitable replacement. If the most recent version of the bill does pass, Dreamers would be able to achieve citizenship within an estimated 10 to 12 years so long as they abide by a set of requirements regarding work, education and “good moral character,” according to the WSJ.
The wall, which Trump has repeatedly said Mexico will pay for, would expand on the current 654-mile barrier that separates Mexico and the U.S. It is expected to be completed over a 10-year period and could cost up to $33B with the inclusion of security measures, technology and personnel. The New York Times reported in April that the wall could cost up to three times the amount projected, or roughly $70B, to build and would cost an annual $150M to keep up.
The bill, which requires 60 votes to pass, will be brought before Congress on the week of Feb. 5.
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