Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images
The Koch-backed advocacy groups Freedom Partners, Americans for Prosperity and The LIBRE Initiative are expressed their "disappointment" in President Trump's latest tweets calling DACA "dead." They are demanding a permanent solution for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children in exchange for $25 billion in funding for border security.
Why it matters: The Koch brothers are some of the GOP's biggest financial contributors. These statements clearly put blame on both Republicans and Democrats for not reaching a DACA deal — while Trump attempts to solely blame Democrats. "Pointing fingers, shifting blame and, ultimately, abandoning efforts to reach a consensus would be irresponsible and represent a grave injustice," Freedom Partners Executive Vice President James Davis said in a statement.
Davis added that they will continue to "be aggressively engaged" on finding a permanent solution for Dreamers until an agreement is reached.
- AFP Chief Government Affairs Officer Brent Gardner touted a bipartisan deal in his statement, saying, "There’s a clear path forward that all sides should be able to support, yet instead of finding a solution, Washington is back to the same political games that allowed this problem to become a crisis.”
- The LIBRE Initiative President Daniel Garza called Trump's DACA statements "extremely disappointing" and called for "a sense of urgency" from the White House and Congress.