WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump indicated that he was willing to sign the long-stalled Dream Act into law if it passes Congress, House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi said Thursday, another sign that Trump may be uneasy about his decision to phase out DACA.
Pelosi said she encouraged the president in a morning phone call to assure young immigrants that they are not in immediate danger of deportation.
Trump tweeted a message to the so-called Dreamers shortly after his conversation with Pelosi, saying they were in "no danger" during the six months he has given Congress to find a solution to the program.
"The president, I think _ I'm hoping and I'm praying ... that the president really cares about the Dreamers," the San Francisco Democrat told reporters.
Democrats have vowed to push a vote on the Dream Act, a bill first introduced in 2001 but never approved, as part of must-pass legislation on the congressional agenda this fall.
The latest version of the bill would put young immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children on a path to legal status.
About 800,000 who received work permits and other protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program could be affected.
Trump on Wednesday outlined the contours of a deal that would beef up border security as part of a legislative fix for DACA, which President Barack Obama created in 2012.
"It's very clear he wants Congress to act to get this done," Pelosi said.
