Pelosi: Democrats are prepared to shut down the government over DACA

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters Friday that Democrats are prepared to allow the government to shut down if Republicans do not accede to a list of Democratic demands, including legislation that protects the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients.

Pelosi said Democrats would be willing to allow the government to shut down if the bill doesn't include their list of priorities, which she said Democrats made clear with GOP leaders during negotiations.

“Because it does nothing about the opioid epidemic; it has nothing about veterans funding; nothing about CHIP ... nothing about the Dream Act ... emergency disaster funding; saving some of the pensions,” Pelosi said, according to The Hill. “This is a waste of time. There could be some good things that could be advanced.”

In September, President Donald Trump’s administration announced that it would end the DACA, program created by former President Barack Obama. The DACA program allows young immigrants living in the country illegally who were brought here as children to remain in the U.S. It does not give them legal status but provides temporary protection from deportation and permits them to work legally.

Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) met with Trump in September to discuss immigration and the DACA recipients.

They all agreed to the contours of an immigration agreement that would impose tighter border control paired with DACA legislation, according to The Hill. 

But Pelosi said Democrats aren't willing to agree to stricter deportation laws in exchange for a DACA fix at the expense of Dreamers' parents.

According to the White House, Trump, who openly opposes attaching immigration legislation to the bill, gave Congress until March 5 to come up with a fix for DACA.

"We will not leave without a DACA fix," Pelosi said.

The House passed the C.R. with a vote of 235-193, which will keep the government open for two more weeks but sets up another showdown before Christmas. The next C.R. deadline is Dec. 22.