President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday revived the idea of an amnesty for illegal immigrant “Dreamers,” saying the time has come to offer them more permanent protections in the U.S.

Mr. Trump also said he is serious about a major deportation effort that will initially target “criminals.” He said mixed families, in which someone is in the country illegally but other relatives have legal status, will face a decision about whether they all return home with their deported relative.

And in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Mr. Trump said he will attempt to end birthright citizenship, which automatically grants citizenship to almost anyone born on U.S. soil, including children of illegal immigrants.

“Well, we’re going to have to get it changed,” he said.

He said the enforcement promises will come first but “later” will come an attempt to strike a deal granting leniency to Dreamers — illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and are considered the most sympathetic cases.

“I will work with the Democrats on a plan,” the president-elect said. “And if we can come up with a plan, but the Democrats have made it very, very difficult to do anything. Republicans are very open to the Dreamers.”

Mr. Trump attempted a deal on Dreamers in 2018, offering a full pathway to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients as part of a broader bill that would have funded construction of his border wall and imposed new restrictions on future legal immigration.

Democrats rejected that overture.

• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.