U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before leaving the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on March 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
- The bill will be "merit-based," Trump said.
- Trump has ramped up moves to restrict immigration during the pandemic. Critics have argued he's using the pandemic to promote his political agenda and appeal to his voters as the November election nears.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that his administration is working on what he called "a big immigration bill."
Speaking to reporters at the White House before a trip to Florida, Trump said the bill will be "merit-based."
In addition, he said the administration is working with representatives of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that grants undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children permissions to live and work lawfully.
Trump made the remarks only days after his administration announced it is reviewing DACA and that it will reject new applications.
Pedestrians with face masks walk past a store on Fifth Avenue in New York, the United States, July 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)
DACA, created via an administrative memo in 2012 by the Obama administration, previously gave recipients a renewable two-year deferral from deportation and has made them eligible for work permits, driver's licenses, and health insurance.
Recipients of DACA, estimated to be about 700,000, are commonly called "Dreamers."
Trump, who has made the abolishment of the program a key part of his hardline immigration policy, first announced intentions to rescind DACA in September 2017.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Trump has ramped up moves to restrict immigration.
Critics have argued he's using the pandemic to promote his political agenda and appeal to his voters as the November election nears. ■
