Democrats rule out Trump's request for border wall funding in help for 'Dreamers'

[October 09, 2017]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats rejected President Donald Trump's requests on Sunday that renewed protection for "Dreamers" - people brought illegally to the United States as children - include funding for a border wall and money for thousands more immigration officers.

U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks next to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) during a news conference on President Trump's first 100 days on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S April 28, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

“We told the President at our meeting that we were open to reasonable border security measures alongside the DREAM Act, but this list goes so far beyond what is reasonable. This proposal fails to represent any attempt at compromise," the two top congressional Democrats - Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Nancy Pelosi - said in a joint statement.

“The list includes the wall, which was explicitly ruled out of the negotiations," they added.

(Reporting by Ginger Gibson; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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