Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Monday he had a lengthy talk with President Donald Trump on Sunday night regarding what lawmakers need to do with the soon-to-be-defunct Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
"Talked to him a long time last night," Graham told CNN. "He's encouraging: 'keep talking.'"
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced in September that DACA, which allowed people who illegally came to the United States as children with their parents to stay if they meet certain criteria, will be phased out by March 2018.
The six-month gap between the announcement and the program's end was designed to give lawmakers on Capitol Hill time to craft permanent legislation on the matter. DACA is a policy signed by former President Barack Obama in 2012.
Graham said Trump wants something done to protect the roughly 800,000 people who have benefitted the program.
"I think he wants a deal, and we'll see what happens," Graham said.