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NORTH ADAMS, MASS. — Although the U.S. Supreme Court signaled Tuesday that it will not take up a case involving legal challenges to the DACA program -- an issue at the center of debate on immigration in at least one member of Massachusetts' congressional delegation offered that the move is unlikely to impact negotiations to reopen the federal government.

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, a Springfield Democrat who chairs the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, told The Republican that he doesn’t believe the high court’s failure to take up a case involving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program will change the debate as lawmakers seek an agreement to end the government shutdown.

“I think the reason for that is DACA is still the linchpin of where, I think, an agreement can be accommodated in the near future,” the congressman said when asked about the Supreme Court’s action during a stop at Drury High School.

Neal added that the Supreme Court’s action was likely made on the basis that justices hope Congress will take action on the Obama-era program, which has extended protections to immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.

The White House offered earlier this week that it’d be willing to extend protections for DACA recipients as part of an agreement to end the current partial government shutdown, which began in late December after President Donald Trump pledged to reject any spending bill that did not include funding for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall.

On Saturday, Trump urged Democrats to accept a deal to reopen the government that included his requested $5.7 billion for a border wall and three years of legislative relief for the DACA recipients, known as “Dreamers.”

Democratic leaders, who have vocally opposed the president’s push to construct a wall along the southern border, called the deal a “non-starter.”

Neal doubled down on that stance, arguing that Trump’s offer included “a permanent fix to his proposal” and a temporary solution to Democrats' concerns.

“Our argument here is that more border agents, sophisticated technology and more judges to adjudicate these cases would go a long way toward calming the passions of the current conversation,” he said.

Democrats have called on the White House and Congress to reopen the government while lawmakers debate funding for the president’s border wall.