Hakeem Jeffries tells PBS that anyone treated ‘unfairly and unjustly’ by the Trump administration on immigration should get ‘remedial assistance’
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pledged remedial assistance to individuals he described as being treated unfairly and unjustly by the current administration during an interview with PBS. This declaration came as Jeffries outlined his vision for the upcoming legislative term, as he currently aims to become Speaker of the House.
The conversation turned toward the immigration climate and the future of DACA recipients, whose program the Supreme Court kept alive during President Donald Trump’s first term. Dozens of DACA recipients have reportedly been deported under the crackdown, and in one case a federal judge ordered a return. Asked whether he would support efforts to bring them back, Jeffries said, “Certainly.”
Jeffries said citizens, lawful residents and DACA recipients who have been “treated unfairly and unjustly by the administration” should receive remedial assistance. He said the goal is to “undo the damage” done over roughly the past 20 months, without specifying what that assistance would involve. However, the remark quickly drew criticism from the White House and a Democratic strategist, according to Fox News.
A Democratic strategist thinks Jeffries has his priorities backward
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told the outlet, “Democrats show time and time again with their extremist, anti-American policies that they care more about illegal aliens than U.S. citizens.” Democratic strategist Julian Epstein also weighed in. He suggested that the Democratic Party might be retreating to old positions instead of focusing on the economic promises made to voters.
“Democrats are falling back into the extremist open border trap. I’m still yet to hear concrete plans on making housing, energy, and healthcare more affordable. But the incoming speaker seems to have very specific plans on how to provide more welfare for illegal immigrants,” Epstein wrote.
Julian Epstein also said no one wants “to see violent deportations,” while claiming that 80% of voters opposed the Biden administration’s immigration approach and nearly as many oppose amnesty. He argued that Jeffries has “specific ideas about monetary handouts” without matching plans to ease housing and energy costs, calling it “a sign of priorities out of whack.”
During the same interview, Jeffries emphasized that his primary focus remains on affordability for American households. He pointed to a recent bipartisan housing bill that became law without Trump’s signature as an example of the work Democrats intend to prioritize. Jeffries listed housing, health care, groceries, gas, and caregiving as areas where the party plans to drive down costs.
The interviewer pointed out that Trump expressed hope of working with Democrats, particularly on immigration, as they secured majorities in both chambers. However, Trump then promoted Stephen Miller, the adviser behind his hard-line immigration approach, to chief of staff. Jeffries had already said he has zero interest in working with Miller.
The DACA program at the center of this fight has been shrinking fast
DACA was created in 2012 to shield people brought to the country as children from deportation and give them work permits, according to the National Immigration Forum. The program does not provide permanent legal status, and recipients must renew every two years. The group counted 436,350 active recipients at the end of June, down almost 100,000 since January 2025.
The group tied much of the decline to renewal backlogs, as delays can leave recipients without work authorization or deportation protection. The administration has also reportedly given Congress conflicting figures on removals, telling House members that 174 DACA recipients were deported while telling Sen. Dick Durbin the number was 86, per The Washington Sun.
Jeffries suggested Democrats could begin by moving the Dream and Promise Act, which aims to give Dreamers a path to permanent status, before this Congress ends. House Democrats are expected to choose their speaker nominee on Nov. 18.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
