President Donald Trump has insisted that any compromise on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals initiative include funding for a wall and increased spending on securing the border with Mexico. | Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images Trump says he'll 'take the heat' over immigration reform

President Donald Trump and Democratic lawmakers sparred over immigration during a nearly hour-long meeting in front of reporters, during which Trump pledged to “take the heat” if Congress pursued a comprehensive reform package.

Trump voiced interest in striking a deal on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the Obama-era initiative that provided protections to roughly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants and which Trump rescinded in September. The bickering focused around whether such a deal would need to incorporate funding for his long-promised border wall and additional funding for border security.


During the summit — about 55 minutes of which was televised, an unusual move by the White House — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) urged the president to “close the deal” on an immigration reform package. Trump offered to provide political cover for a comprehensive push.

“If you want to take it that further step, I’ll take the heat,” Trump replied. “You are not that far away from comprehensive immigration reform.”

Trump said after securing a deal on border security and finding a solution for young undocumented immigrants known as "Dreamers," the group could discuss broader immigration reform “the following day.”

The White House said in a statement after the meeting that participants "reached an agreement to negotiate legislation that accomplishes critically needed reforms in four high-priority areas: border security, chain migration, the visa lottery, and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy."

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Still, while reporters were in the room, it seemed at times that participants were talking past each other.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) proposed that Congress take up a "clean" bill that would extend protections for Dreamers. The president replied that he had "no problem" with the proposal, prompting House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, to point out that it would not include the measures GOP Republicans and the White House want.

"Mr. President, you need to be clear. What Sen. Feinstein is talking about, we don't want to be back here two years later. You have to have security as the secretary would tell you," McCarthy said.

"That's what she is saying," Trump replied.

McCarthy rebutted: "No, I think she is saying something different. You are saying DACA without security."

Trump also vowed that any agreement struck by Congress would be signed into law, even if he disagreed with portions of it.

“My positions are going to be what the people in the room come up with," he said. "If they come to me with things I’m not in love with, I’m going to do it."

Democrats and Republicans struck notes of cautious optimism after the meeting, with both sides seeming to agree that “the wall” and “border security” are interchangeable terms, though White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders would not specify at Tuesday's press briefing whether that interpretation was correct.

“I think the president uses ‘wall’ for ‘border security,’” said House minority whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). “I think he thinks they’re interchangeable.”

Sanders said Trump had not abandoned his wish to see Mexico pay for a wall along the Mexico border, despite pushback from U.S. and Mexican officials.

Republicans, who addressed reporters separately from the Democrats, praised Trump for bringing a new urgency to the process by revoking DACA protections last year.

Even with the details vague, Republicans expressed Trump-like optimism that a deal could be achieved.

“I think it’s doable,” said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.). “I think we’re all going to have to give a bit.”

