The White House on Monday morning wouldn't rule out the administration working with Democrats on a "deal" for illegal immigrants who have been living in the U.S. for more than a decade as Republicans prepare to lose control of Congress in January.
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Republicans → rule → January
President Donald Trump, in his first sit-down interview since sweeping GOP midterm losses, opened the door to the possibility of considering amnesty.
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Trump → sit → amnesty
"The President never said the word amnesty," a White House official insisted to Fox News Digital.
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official → say → Digital
"We want Democrats to show their cards," the official revealed.
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official → want → cards
They said, "There has never been a President stronger on immigration enforcement than President Trump."
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They → say → Trump
"Thanks to his efforts more than 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S. and we have the most secure border in American history.
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we → leave → history
Like the President has said, he’s willing to work with anyone to improve the lives of Americans and Make America Safe Again.
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America → say → Americans
In a "60 Minutes" interview that aired on Sunday, host Ross Douthat asked Trump how he is open to working with Democrats on immigration as he enters a lame-duck final stretch of his presidency.
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he → air → presidency
"I'd love to do something on immigration," the president replied.
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president → love → immigration
"I think [immigration] both helped and hurt.
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immigration → think → ?
I think I got an A+ for closing up the border.
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I → think → border
I get very high marks for getting the bad ones out, but I get hurt because we also took people that had good jobs, that created one violation or breaking of the law — that was that they came into the country illegally."
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they → get → country
Trump, however, maintained that there are people in the United States who want to see all illegal aliens deported.
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aliens → maintain → States
But, Trump said, "if they're good people working in a landscaping company or working in a hotel, or doing something, right?
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they → say → something
And in some cases paying taxes, and there's a large group of people that think they should be allowed to stay."
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they → pay → people
"When you go into a hotel and you have a woman that's working there as a maid, as a cleaner as a this as a that, as a waitress, a lot of good things, great jobs, and all of a sudden they're being taken out of the country, it's tough.
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it → go → country
It's a tough thing," he said, adding that people who he called "far-right" want deportations regardless of whether the illegal alien is working.
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alien → say → deportations
While Trump didn't say "amnesty," as the White House noted, he signaled in the interview his willingness to "work a deal" for people who have been in the United States illegally for "10 and 15 years" who haven't committed other crimes.
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who → say → crimes
Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., a longtime proponent of giving legal status to illegal aliens, celebrated Trump's comments on X.
"Well done, Mr. President!
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Salazar → give → X.
What you described on 60 Minutes is what the Dignity Act is all about," she said in the post.
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she → describe → post
Salazar's Dignity Act would offer legal status to people who have been in the United States continuously since 2020, provided they haven't committed other crimes and pay a restitution fee and back taxes.
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they → offer → fee
The White House wouldn't clarify what such a deal could entail when asked Monday.
uncertain
deal → clarify → what
Notably, the interview was taped before Stephen Miller, a notorious immigration hawk, was selected to be Trump's new chief of staff.
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Miller → tap → staff
Immigration restrictionism has been Trump's calling card since he first ran for president beginning in 2015.
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he → run → 2015
His comments in the interview that aired Sunday drew a sharp reaction from those favor immigration restriction.
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that → air → restriction
"To be clear, if President Trump struck an amnesty deal with the Democrat-controlled Congress, it would be a bigger betrayal than starting the foolish war in Iran," commentator Steve Cortes said on X, adding a clip of Trump promising "the largest deportation operation in the history of our country" during a campaign rally in 2024.
"This plan absolutely guarantees that Texas never again votes Republican," said radio show host Anthony Cumia.
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Cumia → strike → Republican
"More states will turn permanently blue if illegals are given amnesty.
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illegals → turn → amnesty
Regan did the same this and California became a forever democrat state.
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California → do → same
Trump can do the same to Texas.
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Trump → do → Texas
"Someone needs to tell Trump: Any amnesty deal with Democrats will destroy the Republican Party," said X personality Kelly McCarty.
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McCarty → need → Party
"We voted for NO amnesty and mass deportations of ALL illegals.
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We → vote → illegals