House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) said she trusts President Donald Trump to keep his word to pass the Dream Act to legalize certain categories of illegal immigrants.
In an interview airing Sunday on NBC’s "Meet the Press," Pelosi discussed the deal she and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) worked out with Trump. She expressed confidence that the agreement would hold and enshrine Democrats’ long sought-after Dream Act.
"What we agreed with the president on is that the basic bill would be the Dream Act," she said, noting that the bill was Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard’s (D., Calif.). "This is the bill we will take forward and it is the bill that we all support."
Pelosi said they would still have to negotiate what border security measures would come with it, but she said she trusted Trump to honor the essence of the Dream Act, which would protect those currently under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the Obama-era executive order Trump is phasing out by March.
"What is to be determined was if or what there would be in terms of border security," Pelosi said. "But the essence of the bill is what the president committed, and that’s what we trust him to honor."
"You believe the president agreed to a pathway to citizenship with this Dream Act?" Todd asked.
"That is what is contained in the Dream Act, yes," Pelosi said.
"And you think he will keep his word on this?" Todd asked.
"That’s what he said," Pelosi replied.
"What makes you trust him?" Todd asked.
"Well, we’ll see," Pelosi said.
"So you’re not sure?" Todd asked.
"No, I trust him on it," Pelosi said. "I’m concerned about what he might come up with in terms of border security and the rest of that, but we have said ‘No wall.’"
Pelosi emphasized that the deal locked in Democratic objectives in the form of the Dream Act, but Trump’s long-promised border wall would not be included.
"As long as we understand it’s the Dream Act and no wall," she said.
Pelosi has previously expressed a desire to focus on legalizing illegal immigrants. She has told immigration activists that they should support the Dream Act in lieu of comprehensive immigration reform to legalize other illegal immigrants.