An Arizona congressman says no one really wants DACA, the program that gives legal work status to undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, says the debate on the program, set to phase out this spring, has become tied up in emotion. Approximately 800,000 people could be eligible for deportation unless DACA is renewed or replaced.
"The picture that's given to us is you've got a valedictorian - these are all valedictorians, they're all highly performing, highly achieving, but we don't know that," Biggs said. Biggs argues DACA recipients don't want the program, because they actually prefer the DREAM Act, which would provide a path to citizenship.
Biggs says he'll never support the DREAM Act, either. "Basically what you are doing is say we're going to give primacy to those who entered illegally, I have a major problem with that," Biggs said.
Biggs said he campaigned on building a border wall and fully securing the border with Mexico first, and after that's complete he may be willing to consider reforms similar to DACA.
"President Trump says you can build the wall in a year," Biggs said. "I've talked to some people who think that's probably true, and if that's the case that's the one exception I told you."
