Trump knocks down bipartisan DACA bill

Republican senator John McCain and Democratic senator Chris Coons planned to propose legislation on Monday that would shield from deportation immigrants who entered the US illegally as children, known as "Dreamers" helped by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.

The bill also would strengthen border security but it wouldn't provide the $US25 billion Trump wants for a US-Mexico border wall.

But before the Senate had a chance to consider the narrow plan, Trump seemed to reject it on Twitter.

"Any deal on DACA that does not include STRONG border security and the desperately needed WALL is a total waste of time. March 5th is rapidly approaching and the Dems seem not to care about DACA. Make a deal!" Trump tweeted.

McCain and Coons said in a statement that their bill was designed to focus on two "pressing" border issues - the "Dreamers" and border security - so lawmakers could focus on completing a long-overdue budget deal.

The McCain-Coons plan is a more modest approach than Trump has sought for protecting the estimated 1.8 million young immigrants. The measure lacks Trump's demands for limiting the relatives that Dreamers can sponsor for citizenship, and ending a visa lottery aimed at admitting more immigrants from diverse places including Africa.

The senators' plan would create a road to legal status for Dreamers who arrived in the US by the end of 2013 and meet other criteria, including no convictions for serious crimes. Once they've become lawful permanent residents, they can follow existing procedures to apply for citizenship.

Democrats and some Republicans want to give Dreamers a pathway to citizenship but oppose cuts Trump would make in the number of legal immigrants allowed to enter the US. Conservatives oppose letting Dreamers become citizens.

That stalemate has led many to believe the likeliest outcome is a narrowly focused bill or even no legislation at all.