For immigration deal, Graham needs the Trump he plays golf with

Lindsey Graham is wondering where his golf buddy went.

Only a week ago, South Carolina’s senior senator was confident President Donald Trump was ready to make a deal on immigration that would spare young people covered by DACA from deportation.

Graham was one of several lawmakers who met with the president last Tuesday to discuss a possible deal on immigration – and the president indicated he would sign an extension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

“I thought the guy I saw on Tuesday was the guy I play golf with,” Graham said to reporters on Capitol Hill.

But, a week later, Graham lamented that Trump seemingly had changed from being open to signing an immigration compromise to being inclined to let immigration protections for young people expire.

Graham blamed the shift on advisers who were giving Trump “bad advice,” saying congressional leaders need “a reliable partner in the White House, not people who have an irrational view of how to fix immigration.”

When Graham and other congressional leaders met with Trump again to offer a possible compromise deal last Thursday, Trump was upset about protections for immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and Africa, which he reportedly called “shithole countries.”

Trump has denied using that language but has declared “DACA is probably dead,” saying Democrats don’t really want a deal.

The DACA program, started by President Barack Obama, has allowed some 800,000 people brought into the United States illegally as children to stay in the country while working or attending school.

Trump has said he will allow the program to end in March if Congress doesn’t act. However, a federal judge has ordered the administration to continue DACA pending a legal challenge.

Graham said Tuesday there are clear outlines of an immigration deal that both Democrats and Republicans can support – continued protections for DACA recipients and others, coupled with increased border security and changes to a more “merit-based” immigration system.

Graham said he is willing to continue speaking with the president about a potential deal, noting Trump has his phone number.

“Don’t give my number out,” Graham said, “but call me.”

This story was originally published January 16, 2018 at 2:19 PM with the headline "For immigration deal, Graham needs the Trump he plays golf with."