Trump reportedly asks why the US wants people from 'shithole' African countries

US President Donald Trump reportedly asked lawmakers in the White House why people from "s**thole" countries like Haiti and African nations were coming to the US while politicians from both parties discussed legislation for America's immigration system.

NBC reported how senator Dick Durbin was explaining a deal's impact on people from Haiti when Trump said "Why do we want people from Haiti here?"

When discussing African countries, Trump reportedly said: "Why do we want these people from all these sh*thole countries here?" He then added: "We should have more people from places like Norway."

The quote was also reported by the Associated Press and the Washington Post who noted that Trump had met the Norwegian premier on Wednesday, possibly prompting his comment on the country.

Senators from both parties have said that an agreement involving immigrants who entered the US illegally as children and Trump's promised border wall had been brokered, while others said that it was not yet fully agreed.

White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said "There has not been a deal reached yet... but we feel like we're close."

Trump previously announced the ending of DACA, an Obama-era programme which allowed immigrants who arrived in America illegally as children to register to get work permits and continuously delay deportation.

"President Trump called on Congress to solve the DACA challenge," Senators Durbin, Lindsey Graham, Jeff Flake, Michael Bennett, Cory Gardner, and Robert Menendez said in a joint statement.

"We have been working for four months and have reached an agreement in principle that addresses border security, the diversity visa lottery, chain migration/ family reunification, and the Dream act - the area's outlined by the President."

The statement continued: "We are now working to build support for that deal in Congress."

Congress will need to reach an agreement soon as the deadline for a federal financing bill looms, threatening to shut down US government services.