House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Tuesday that he would support bringing deported DACA recipients back to the United States and providing them with what he called “remedial assistance.” Critics took that to mean Democrats might compensate immigrants who were deported.
Asked in a PBS NewsHour interview whether he backed returning deported DACA recipients to the country, Jeffries replied, “Certainly.” He said people he believes were treated unjustly by the Trump administration should receive help to address the harm done.
“Anyone, whether they are a citizen, whether they were here lawfully, whether they’re DACA recipients, who’s been treated unfairly and unjustly by the administration, we need to provide remedial assistance to them,” Jeffries said. He added that the country should work to undo damage to immigrant families and the American public over the past 20 months.
Jeffries did not explain whether that assistance would include financial payments.
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program gives some immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children temporary protection from deportation and the ability to apply for work permits. It does not provide legal immigration status, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Podcaster Benny Johnson criticized Jeffries in a social media post, claiming Democrats put foreigners ahead of Americans. Johnson characterized Jeffries’ comments as a plan to bring back deported DACA recipients and pay them.
Other conservative social media users also accused Jeffries of favoring immigrants over U.S. citizens. Eric Daugherty, chief content officer at Florida’s Voice, claimed that efforts toward amnesty were intended to create new voters and eventually grant citizenship to millions more.
During the interview, Jeffries described the U.S. immigration system as broken and said it needed comprehensive reform. He argued that enforcement should be fair, just and humane, while saying Democrats would not fund the administration’s mass deportation efforts.
Jeffries suggested Congress could begin by advancing the Dream and Promise Act, which he said could provide a basis for further work in the next Congress.
His remarks followed comments Monday from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who said Congress could consider a path to permanent legal status for DACA recipients. Mullin said any such proposal would be up to lawmakers, adding that they could explore whether recipients might become permanent legal residents or citizens.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a March 3, 2026, social media post that DACA does not grant legal status. It also said DACA recipients may be arrested and deported for various reasons, including committing a crime.
The department stated that between Jan. 20 and Sept. 28, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 264 DACA recipients nationwide. It said more than 92% had been charged with or convicted of a crime in the United States.
The White House has left open the possibility of negotiating with Democrats over immigrants who have lived in the country for more than a decade without committing other crimes. President Trump and Mullin have both ruled out amnesty.
