WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- The White House said Wednesday that it will unveil a legislative framework on immigration next week.
The announcement came after lawmakers resumed negotiations on the fate of young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, known as Dreamers.
"The White House will release a legislative framework on Monday that represents a compromise that members of both parties can support," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.
"After decades of inaction by Congress, it's time we work together to solve this issue once and for all. The American people deserve no less," the statement said.
The framework, according to the statement, aims to secure the border and close legal loopholes end extended-family chain migration, cancel the visa lottery, and provide a permanent solution on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that prevents Dreamers from deportation and provides them with work permits.
U.S. President Donald Trump last September ordered the end of the DACA, but gave Congress until March 5, 2018 to find a legislative alternative.
On Wednesday, Trump told reporters at the White House that he's open to offer young immigrants a pathway to citizenship "over 10-12 years."
"We're going to morph into it. It's going to happen at some point in the future," Trump said.
The president also said that he will request 25 billion U.S. dollars to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border as part of the negotiations, as well as 5 billion dollars for other border security measures.
Lawmakers have struggled in recent weeks to negotiate on the legal status of Dreamers.
An impasse between Democrats and Republicans over the issue led to a three-day government shutdown that ended late Monday.
Though a stopgap spending bill reopened the government through early next month, the prospect for narrowing the bipartisan divide over immigration remains dim.
To avoid another government shutdown, Congress must pass a funding bill before Feb. 8. Immigration issues have been a bone of contention in the ongoing negotiations.
