Trump says many DACA recipients are "far from angels," some are "hardened criminals"
President Trump tweeted early Tuesday morning that many recipients of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program are "far from angels," and some are "hardened criminals."
The president made the statement as the country waits on the Supreme Court to determine the fate of hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came to the U.S. with their parents illegally but as children. Despite labeling many DACA recipients as "far from angels" and some as "hardened criminals," the president said that if the Supreme Court overturns the Obama-era policy, "a deal will be made with the Dems for them to stay!"
Many of the people in DACA, no longer very young, are far from “angels.” Some are very tough, hardened criminals. President Obama said he had no legal right to sign order, but would anyway. If Supreme Court remedies with overturn, a deal will be made with Dems for them to stay!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2019
The legal battle over the Trump administration's attempts to nullify DACA, which grants protections for qualified immigrants who came as children, made its way through the courts until it reached the Supreme Court.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has the flexibility to terminate a DACA recipient's status if they come into contact with the criminal justice system, and a serious criminal record renders individuals ineligible for renewals for relief through the DACA program.
— Camilo Montoya Galvez contributed to this report