Trump offers a compromise on the wall and government closure and Democrats reject it

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump has offered a settlement that would provide legal protection to hundreds of thousands of migrants in exchange for funding his plan to build the border wall with Mexico, ending the crisis of a temporary government closure.

In a speech on Saturday from the White House, Trump proposed temporary protection for migrants, including humanitarian aid worth eight hundred million dollars, and a three-year delay to implement the procedures for deporting current claimants.

He added that this proposal includes 700,000 children of immigrants who entered the US illegally, who are called "dreamers", as well as 300,000 other migrants whose temporary protection system is nearing completion.

Under this proposal, the right to work is also granted to those involved in the extension of temporary legal protection.

The US president described the offer as a gesture of goodwill, but in return he insisted on his demand that Congress approve within the federal budget $ 5.7 billion to complete the border wall, parts of which have already been built in the years before Trump's rule.

Trump called for a solution to the partial closure of the government since December 22, saying that the voices that do not want consensus should be kept away.

He said his administration seeks to ensure immigration law that reflects American values ​​and traditions, adding that he is committed to campaigning to tackle migration problems.

He once again stressed the need to protect his country's southern border, and in that context he proposed the provision of $ 800 million for drug control.

The construction of a steel wall on the border with Mexico will lead to a decline in drug and human trafficking problems, he said. Thousands of Americans are losing their lives as a result of drugs, and most of the taboos are leaking across our southern border.

Democratic opposition
The Democrats rejected in advance President Trump's proposals, leaked by the media hours before his speech.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the Democrats had hoped the president would eventually be ready to reopen the government and go ahead with a necessary debate to protect the border.

Pelosi described his offer as a compilation of previously rejected initiatives, saying in a statement that Trump's plan did not reflect goodwill in restoring normalcy and was unlikely to pass through the House and Senate.

She said the president's proposals were part of an attempt to win a deal with Congress that would allow the reopening of many federal institutions.

Al-Jazeera correspondent Fadi Mansour said the positions issued prior to the speech showed that the Democrats rejected the settlement on the basis of their rejection of the principle of building the border wall, while stressing at the same time measures to secure the border.

In contrast to the opposing positions expressed by many Democratic politicians, Republican leaders expressed their support for the Trump proposal.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Trump's leadership.

McConnell said in a tweet that he salutes the president of the United States for his leadership to propose this bold solution to re-open the government, secure borders and take bipartisan steps to address current immigration issues.