Trump Slams 'Dumb' Refugee Deal With Australia

President Donald Trump took to Twitter Wednesday night to slam a deal the U.S. forged with Australia during the Obama administration last year to resettle refugees in the U.S. from two remote Pacific islands.

The president tweeted, "Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!"

The deal -- which involves resettling an undisclosed number of asylum seekers held in Australian processing centers on a pair of remote islands -- was a topic of conversation between Trump and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during their 25-minute phone call on Saturday, according to Turnbull.

While Turnball acknowledged that he and Trump did indeed discuss the deal involving the resettlement of refugees from the aforementioned Pacific islands, the White House readout of Turnball's call with Trump made no mention of it. It merely stated, "Both leaders emphasized the enduring strength and closeness of the U.S.-Australia relationship that is critical for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and globally." ABC News has asked White House officials for further details about the phone call, but they have yet to comment.

At a press conference on Monday, the Australian leader said the pair "discussed the resettlement arrangement of refugees from Nauru and Manus, which had been entered into with the previous administration, and I thank President Trump for his commitment to honor that existing agreement."

Turnball was asked about the fate of the deal, in light of President Trump's executive order, which in part, temporarily halts admission of refugees into the U.S.

"The president has committed to honor the existing arrangement but the screening processes ... are very thorough and take some time," Turnball said.

Peter Dutton, Australia's Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, echoed Turnball's sentiments: "So there have been people, obviously U.S. officials, up on Nauru and there have been conversations, exchange of information otherwise, between those officials and officials within my Department," Dutton said. "So that will take some time because obviously the U.S., rightly under the existing arrangement, both signed off on by President Obama and now adopted by President Trump, under that arrangement there is the ability for the U.S. to conduct those rigorous tests and then ultimately to have the final say, as is obviously appropriately the case, as to who will eventually end up in the U.S."

Also at the press conference, Turnball added, "Our commitment to multiculturalism, our commitment to a non-discriminatory immigration program is well known."

ABC News' Devin Dwyer contributed to this report.

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