Hick's DACA Suit: Dem Challengers Jump to Criticize AG Coffman's Boycott

DENVER, CO – Gov. John Hickenlooper may have come late to the party with a decision to join 15 other states and the District of Columbia in a federal lawsuit to block the repeal of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

President Trump said Thursday that he is "fairly close" to a deal with Congress to protect DACA. The president was speaking to reporters outside the White House as he planned to head to Florida to meet with people impacted by Hurricane Irma.

"We're working on a plan for DACA," he said. "People want to see that happen. You have 800,000 young people, brought here, no fault of their own. So we're working on a plan, we'll see how it works out."

Trump, Democrats Have Different Ideas On How Their DACA Meeting Went

The president's comments followed a news release Tuesday night from the Democratic leader of the House and Senate, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, saying that they had reached a deal with the president on DACA that did not include a border wall, breaking a Trump campaign promise.

In Colorado, Democrats jostling for the lead in a crowded attorney general race criticized Colorado Atty. General Cynthia Coffman for declining to join the federal lawsuit on behalf of the state. Hickenlooper announced Wednesday that Colorado was joining the suit, but that the governor’s attorneys would file as a “special attorney general.”

Democrats didn’t hesitate to criticize Coffman, who is said to be considering a run for Colorado governor.

Coffman’s boycott was a “dereliction of duty,” State Rep. Joe Salazar said in a Facebook post.

“You’re damn right that as Attorney General I will not only join the lawsuit, but I’ll be on the front lines leading the effort.”

Phil Weiser, former dean of the University of Colorado Law School, and fundraising frontrunner issued a statement praising Hickenlooper for joining the lawsuit.

"I am proud of and heartened by Governor Hickenlooper's leadership in standing up for Colorado's DACA recipients.” Weiser said in a statement. “It is most disheartening, however, that our Attorney General refuses to represent Colorado in this important effort to enforce our Constitution's commitment to treating people fairly. Breaking our word to the DREAMers and using the information they shared with the government to deport them is not only unconstitutional, but also inhumane and economically damaging to our state and country."

Coffman defended her decision to stay out of the suit.

“This debate belongs in Congress and must result in a clear direction forward for this country and those who wish to call it home,” she said in a statement Sept. 7

“In Colorado, my office has the independent authority to take legal action on behalf of the state when I believe doing so is in the state’s best interest,” Coffman said in a statement Thursday. “In this case, I do not. Nor do I support the legal arguments in the Democrats’ lawsuit.” Coffman stayed out of a suit filed by 10 GOP attorneys general seeking to revoke DACA.

See lawsuit here:

DACA Suit by JeanLotus on Scribd

But the wind may have been taken out of the suit’s sails after Trump’s announcement that he was working with Democrats on a DACA deal.

Watch: Schumer, Trump Agreed To DACA Framework

Nearly 800,000 immigrants benefit from the DACA program, which was created by President Barack Obama. The program provided immigrants temporary work permits and protection from deportation. People who came to the U.S. as children were allowed to apply for deferred action for two years at a time. Once that action expired, recipients could try to have it renewed. Recipients had to have been at least 15 years old and younger than 31 years old as of June 15, 2012. Convicted felons and individuals who had at least three misdemeanors were ineligible. (For more information on this and other Denver stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

The Trump administration announced on Sept. 5 that the program would be winding down.

Pelosi, the House Democratic leader from California, and Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader from New York, said they're encouraging Trump to make permanent "cost-sharing reduction payments." Those talks remain ongoing.

Maryland, California, Maine and Minnesota sued Trump for rescinding the DACA program, alleging it violated federal laws.

The Associated Press and Colin Miner contributed to this report.

Photo of President Trump speaking with reporters Thursday via Win McNamee/Getty Images News/Getty Images.