• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

2

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats

3

Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026

1

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

2

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats

3

Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
LeadershipImmigration

Koch Brothers Like Trump Plan for Dreamers

Alana Abramson
By
Alana Abramson
Alana Abramson
Down Arrow Button Icon
Alana Abramson
By
Alana Abramson
Alana Abramson
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 28, 2018, 11:39 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

As a record-breaking 550 influential conservative donors prepared to gather in California for their annual winter retreat, the network overseen by Charles and David Koch highlighted its preferences for an immigration bill in Congress — parts of which differ from the plan the White House laid out last week.

The network praised the portion of the White House’s framework that would provide legal status for the recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival Program — and others who might be eligible, which the White House said would total 1.8 million people. “Immigrants are essential to the success of our country and addressing the plight of the dreamers is a top priority for this network,” said Brian Hook, co-chairman of the Seminar Network.

But officials from the network also emphasized that they want to see additional compromise in the final piece of legislation Congress will ultimately hand to President Donald Trump, specifically when it comes to reducing the number of immigrants, a point on which they differ with the White House. The White House proposal would limit family sponsorship and eliminate the visa lottery system, although it would reallocate those visas.

“We cannot support arbitrary cuts to future legal immigration levels,” said Daniel Garza, president of The LIBRE Initiative, which is backed by the Koch brothers. “We welcome a debate about whether our current legal immigration policy properly balances family and skills-based migration. But that broad debate should not distract from the immediate goal of providing certainty to Dreamers and enhancing security.”

Jorge Lima, the Executive Director of the LIBRE Initiative, said that in addition to working with both chambers of Congress and the White House on a bill, his organization would mobilize its grassroots efforts to hammer home their principles to elected officials and individual communities.

“It’s everything we do — [communications] grassroots, government affairs, and putting all of that behind the ability to make a difference here,” he said.

Timing wise, he said it is crucial that Congress pass legislation by March 5, which is when the DACA program, which has provided undocumented immigrants who came to the country as minors with their parents to apply for renewable work permits, will officially expire. (Former President Barack Obama established the program under executive order in 2012, but the Trump administration announced last September it was revoking the order, and that Congress had six months to pass a legislative solution).

“We know that come March 5 you’re [going to] have a lot of uncertainty for DREAMers whose status has now thrown into question,” Lima said, noting the disruption would extend beyond the dreamers. “We’re asking Congress to act as soon as possible before the March 5 deadline.”

The network is planning to spend $20 million this year on advocating for the tax reform bill Trump signed into law ahead of the midterm elections. Officials said on Saturday in a briefing with reporters that spending on policy and politics could total up to $400 million by the end of 2018. When asked how much money would be spent on immigration advocacy, Lima declined to give a monetary figure, but said the advocacy efforts would be “as big of a deal” as tax reform.

“It’s valuable to know the dollar sign but that doesn’t mean it’s less or more critical on the issue,” he said. “We think that now we can make a big deal on this issue and to do that most efficiently and best as we can.”

(Disclosure: Time Inc., TIME and Fortune’s parent company, has agreed to be acquired by Meredith Corp. in a deal partially financed by Koch Equity Development, a subsidiary of Koch Industries Inc.)

About the Author
Alana Abramson
By Alana Abramson
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Leadership

f
CommentaryMarkets
Dr. Fauci, the Age of Big Players in science and what his diary reveals about the disputed origins of Covid
By Steve H. Hanke and Roger KopplJuly 29, 2026
30 minutes ago
norah
Arts & EntertainmentMedia
60 Minutes hires new lineup including Ross Douthat, Norah O’Donnell
By Jocelyn Noveck and The Associated PressJuly 29, 2026
1 hour ago
Nnamdi Iregbulem is a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners
CommentaryVenture Capital
Button-mashing never worked in StarCraft. Tokenmaxxing won’t work in AI
By Nnamdi IregbulemJuly 29, 2026
1 hour ago
Computer language, Token is the basic unit of AI large models
AICFO Daily
CFOs are hitting a ‘cost wall’ on AI
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 29, 2026
2 hours ago
orla
Commentarybenefits
The Benefits Activation Gap: what claims data teaches us about employee engagement
By Orla NixonJuly 29, 2026
3 hours ago
What CEOs learned about AI, work, and legacy from their own Gen Z kids
NewslettersCEO Daily
What CEOs learned about AI, work, and legacy from their own Gen Z kids
By Diane BradyJuly 29, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
C-Suite
Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
2 days ago
eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats
Law
eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats
By The Associated Press and Leah WillinghamJuly 28, 2026
17 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 28, 2026
1 day ago
The brutal math behind Gen Z's lonely weekends: $15 drinks are driving a generational 'spending hangover'
Economy
The brutal math behind Gen Z's lonely weekends: $15 drinks are driving a generational 'spending hangover'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 28, 2026
24 hours ago
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of gold as of July 28, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of July 28, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 28, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.