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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World

Donald Trump offers temporary protection for immigrants in return for Mexico border wall funding

Mr Trump offered a series of compromises (Picture: EPA)

US President Donald Trump has set out new plans for his Mexican wall, offering to extend temporary protection for people brought into the US illegally as children to secure funding for the controversial project.

Mr Trump offered a series of compromises in a speech on Saturday to try and end a partial government shutdown.

The 72-year-old has so far struggled to find a way out of the four-week shutdown over his demand to build the divisive border wall between the US and Mexico.

Speaking from the White House, Mr Trump promoted his new plan as a way to “break the logjam and provide Congress with a path forward to end the government shutdown.”

The president is also offering to extend protections for immigrants who came to the US as a result of war or natural disasters in their home countries.

Mr Trump delivered a speech from the White House on Saturday (REUTERS)

He said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will bring the proposal for a vote in the Senate this week.

However Democrats, who control the House, are already saying they find the president's offer unacceptable.

Mr Trump said he was offering a "commonsense compromise both parties should embrace".

Five people take the oath of citizenship from United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Kirstjen Nielsen during a ceremony hosted by Mr Trump (EPA)

But in advance of his remarks, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the proposal for ending the 29-day partial government shutdown was "a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable".

The California Democrat said Mr Trump's offer was "not a good-faith effort" to help the immigrants and could not pass the House.

Democrats criticised the proposal because it did not seem to be a permanent solution for the affected immigrants and because it includes money for the wall along the US-Mexico border, which the party strongly opposes.

Democrats also want Mr Trump to reopen government before talks can start.

Additional reporting by Press Association

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