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UP FRONTFriday 12 January 2018
Trump suggests positive relationship with NK leader
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi-
dent Donald Trump sug-
gested in an interview
Thursday that he has de-
veloped a positive relation-
ship with the North Korean
leader, but declined to say
whether they have spoken.
No sitting U.S. president is
GOP, Dem senators have immigration deal, White House says no
By ALAN FRAM
ANDREW TAYLOR
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Three
Republican and three
Democratic senators said
Thursday they’d reached
an election-year accord to
protect hundreds of thou-
sands of young immigrants
from deportation and to
bolster border security.
But the White House and
several GOP lawmakers
said they’d not accepted
the proposal, plunging the
issue back into uncertainty
just eight days before a
deadline that threatens a
government shutdown.
Two of the bargainers —
No. 2 Senate Democrat
Richard Durbin of Illinois
and Sen. Lindsey Graham,
R-S.C. — traveled to the
White House early Thursday
to shop their framework to
President Donald Trump in
the Oval Office.
The pact also includes re-
strictions on immigrants’
abilities to bring relatives
to the U.S. and termination
of a visa lottery system that
has helped gain entry for
people from African and
other diverse countries.
“I’m hopeful it will lead to
a breakthrough,” Graham,
who has forged a close
relationship with Trump
despite their prior political
rivalry, told reporters after- publicans also undercut a way to revive protections licans will need to push that
ward.
But in an afternoon of dra-
ma and confusing devel-
Trump convenes experts on overhaul of nation’s prison system
By KEN THOMAS
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi-
dent Donald Trump has
promoted a tough-on-
crime agenda at the White
House. But he says the na-
tion needs to find ways to
help inmates eventually re-
enter society.
known to have spoken with good relationship with Kim or haven’t. I just don’t want month.
a North Korean leader. The Jong Un,” Trump told The to comment.” Trump claimed credit
two nations have remained Wall Street Journal. “I have The president’s remarks Wednesday for the inter-
in a state of war and with- relationships with people. come after North and Korean dialogue, saying
out diplomatic relations I think you people are sur- South Korea this week held North Korea was feeling the
since the Korean War end- prised.” their first talks in two years, pressure of a U.S.-led cam-
ed in 1953 without a peace Asked if he had spoken and the North agreed to paign of sanctions over its
treaty. with Kim, Trump was eva- participate in the Winter nuclear weapons and mis-
“I probably have a very sive: “I’m not saying I have Olympics in the South next sile development. q
In this Jan. 9, 2017, photo, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., left, and Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md. listen as gress — unless an immigra-
tion accord is reached.
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with lawmakers on immigration policy in the Cornyn said the real work
for a bipartisan immigra-
Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington. tion deal will be achieved
by a group of four leading
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) lawmakers — the No. 2 Re-
publicans and Democrats
opments, three other GOP the half-dozen senators arrived in the U.S. as chil- in both the House and Sen-
ate. That group met for the
lawmakers — including two hoped to sell to Trump. dren and are here illegally. first time this week.
The immigration effort
hardliners on immigration “How do 6 people bind the Trump ended the Obama- seemed to receive a boost
Tuesday when Trump met
— were also in Trump’s of- other 94 in the Senate? I era Deferred Action for with two dozen lawmakers
and agreed to seek a bi-
fice for Thursday’s meeting don’t get that,” said No. 2 Childhood Arrivals program partisan way to resuscitate
the program.
and said it did not produce Senate Republican John last year but has given The group agreed to also
include provisions strength-
the results Graham and Cornyn of Texas. Congress until March 5 to ening security — which for
Trump means building parts
Durbin were hoping for. Cornyn said the six lawmak- find a way to keep it alive. of a wall along the border
with Mexico — curbing im-
“There has not been a deal ers were hoping for a deal Federal agencies will run migrants’ relatives from
coming here and restrict-
reached yet,” said White and “everyone would fall out of money and have ing the visa lottery.
Also in Thursday’s Oval Of-
House spokeswoman Sarah in line. to shut down if lawmakers fice meeting were House
Majority Leader Kevin Mc-
Huckabee Sanders. But she The president made it clear don’t pass legislation ex- Carthy, R-Calif., and two
conservative lawmakers
added, “We haven’t quite to me on the phone less tending their financing by who’ve taken a hard line
on immigration: Sen. Tom
gotten there, but we feel than an hour ago that he Jan. 19. Cotton, R-Ark., and House
Judiciary Committee Chair-
like we’re close.” wasn’t going to do that.” Some Democrats are man Bob Goodlatte, R-Va.
One person with direct
Underscoring the pitfalls The six senators have been threatening to withhold knowledge of that meet-
ing said Durbin and Gra-
facing the effort, other Re- meeting for months to find their votes — which Repub- ham hadn’t expected the
three GOP lawmakers to
be there.
It was unclear why the
the significance of the deal for young immigrants who legislation through Con- three other Republicans
attended.q
Searching for conserva- nation’s prison population. tunity for the future.” rehabilitated and they can
tive solutions on criminal “We have a great interest Bevin pointed out that 95 be re-assimilated?” Bevin
justice, Trump convened a in helping them turn their percent of the nation’s asked.
group of governors, faith- lives around, get a sec- prison population will even- “We’re good at removing
based leaders and experts ond chance and make our tually be released. “What but we need to do more
on Thursday to “break this communities safe,” Trump are we doing as a society, than simply remove people
vicious cycle” and find said at the White House. at the federal level, at the from society.”
ways of bringing job train- He added, “We will be very state level, at the local lev- The steps are aimed at re-
ing, mentoring and drug tough on crime but we will els, what are we doing to ducing the rate of recidi-
addiction treatment to the provide a ladder of oppor- ensure that they have been vism. q