House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) insisted that President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign promise to deport 11 million immigrants is not going to happen.
During a CNN town hall on Thursday night, Ryan was asked by a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program who had with her a young daughter whether she would be deported.
“I can see you love your daughter, you are a nice person who has a great future ahead of you, and I hope your future is here,” he said.
“What we have to do is find a way to make sure that you can get right with the law, and we’ve got to do this in a good way so that the rug doesn’t get pulled out from under you and your family gets separated.”
CNN host Jake Tapper questioned Ryan about Trump’s mass deportation plan, reminding him of the campaign promise to create a “deportation force" to round up millions of immigrants.
"I know, I know,” the Speaker said, laughing. "But I'm here to tell you, in Congress, it's not happening.”
Ryan said Republicans in congress are working with the president-elect’s transition team on a plan for immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children.
But the Speaker did not indicate any specific change to DACA.
"I think we have to come up with a solution for the DACA kids. And that’s something we in Congress and the Trump transition team are working on,” he said. “What’s a good humane solution."
