Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) talks to the media following a weekly policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., December 12, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Democrat in the U.S. Senate said bipartisan negotiations to protect undocumented people who immigrated to the United States as children were making very good progress, and that he hoped a bill could clear Congress by year-end.

“There are very good negotiations going on between Democrats and Republicans,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told reporters.

“We’re very hopeful that there will be bipartisan support so that we can get DACA done by the end of the year,” he added, referring to legislation to replace the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that President Donald Trump is terminating.