Democrats turn down bill that would offer 30-month ‘Dreamer’ extension for US$25b in funding for Trump’s border wall

Congressional Democrats have rejected a White House bid to extend protections for so-called Dreamer immigrants in exchange for US$25 billion in funding for US President Donald Trump’s long-sought US-Mexico border wall.

The development came as talks continued on a massive US$1.3 trillion catchall spending bill that is required to avoid another government shutdown on Friday.

Aides said efforts to use the measure as a vehicle to extend protections for young immigrants under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival, or DACA, appeared likely to fail.

Trump killed the Obama-era programme in September, theoretically meaning the immigrants - known as ‘Dreamers’ - could be deported this month, but a court decision has essentially left it in place, for now.

The White House made its offer for a 30-month extension of DACA protections in exchange for US$25 billion for the wall on Sunday, but Democrats demanded protections for a broader pool of immigrants.