Charles and David Koch, oil magnates, owners of the second largest privately owned business in the United States, and mega-donor influential supporters of the Republican party, have been vocally weighing in on immigration issues. As unlikely as it appears and contrary to what their otherwise conservative political affiliations would suggest, the Koch brothers have been adamant in their support for mass immigration and DACA in addition to announcing last month their opposition to Trump’s effort to end the process of chain migration. Noteworthy is their public and impassioned urging of President Trump to accept congressional Democrats’ weekend immigration offer, which would deliver $25 billion for a border wall and security in exchange for a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million young immigrants. According to a statement set forth by officials in the Koch network, “We have long said that Congress and the White House should come together on a bipartisan agreement to provide the certainty of permanent statutory relief for the Dreamers in exchange for enhanced security for our nation.”
Despite the influence of the Koch brothers, strong bi-partisan public support, and urging of immigration advocates, the White House was unwilling to accept the deal, instead offering Democrats a two-and-a-half-year extension of protections for so-called Dreamers facing deportation in return for wall money and dropping their demands for cuts to legal immigration. Understandably, Democrats were unwilling to strike a permanent deal on wall funding in exchange for only a temporary fix for Dreamers.