May 17, 2019-U.S. President Donald Trump introduced sweeping changes to the U.S. immigration system.
“We are proposing an immigration plan that puts the jobs, wages, and safety of American workers first,” Trump said while outlining the plans on Thursday.
If enacted by Congress, the new system would reshape the American immigration system by increasing merit-based admissions while accepting fewer family-based and humanitarian immigrants. It would identify-candidates based on age, talent, vocation and academic records. Meanwhile, it would prioritize immediate family relationships such as parent and child.
‘Dead on Arrival’
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the plan was “dead on arrival” in Congress. She said the plan had “repackaged the worst” of immigration policies that Congress has previously rejected.
House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., echoed that rejection, saying Trump’s plan is a non-starter.
“While we certainly need to have a conversation about reforming our immigration system to attract the full range of immigrants ready to contribute to growing our economy, President Trump’s proposal is based on a set of falsehoods aimed at only allowing immigrants from certain favored nations or backgrounds,” Hoyer said.
Issue for the 2020 Campaign
Trump ran on the issue of reforming the immigration system in the 2016 presidential election. The new plan suggests it will be signature issue for the 2020 campaign. According to a White House statement released Thursday, the Trump administration’s goals for immigration reform are to:
- Fully Secure the border
- Protect American wages
- Attract and retain the best and brightest talent
- Prioritize immediate families
- Strengthen our workforce
- Preserve our humanitarian values
The new point-based system would give priority to immigration applicants based on their education, their ability to speak English, support themselves financially and ability to create jobs.
“The White House plan makes no change to the number of green cards allocated each year. But instead of admitting people through random chance, we will establish simple, universal criteria for admission to the United States,” Trump said. “No matter where in the world you’re born, no matter who your relatives are, if you want to become an American citizen, it will be clear exactly what standard we ask you to achieve.”
