(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump hardened his stance on immigration talks on Friday, saying it may not be possible to reach a deal with Democrats before March 5, when protections for thousands of young undocumented immigrants are set to expire.
“I would say we want to make a deal. I think they want to use it for political purposes,” Trump said at a Customs and Border Protection roundtable in Sterling, Virginia, referring to immigrants covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. “I really am not happy with the way it’s going from the standpoint of Democrats negotiating.”
Trump’s comments echoed pessimistic comments earlier this week about the chances of reaching a deal with Democrats for the so-called Dreamers. While Trump has said he wants to help Dreamers, he’s made it conditional on securing funding for a wall along the southern border, a move firmly opposed by Democrats.
“They’ve given up on DACA, and that’s supposed to be theirs,” Trump said Friday. “It’s ours. Because we’re the ones taking care of DACA, not them.
At the event Friday, Trump also took aim at countries that receive U.S. foreign aid but are also sources of illegal drugs.
“These countries are not our friends,” Trump said, following a speaker who said that cocaine and heroin are coming into the country from Colombia and Peru via Mexico. “I want to stop the aid.”
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