Trump to Announce New Immigration Plan
On Thursday, May 16th President Trump announced his administration’s plans for the restructuring of the immigration system in the US. Trump wants the system to move away from family-based immigration—through reunification—to an employment-focused immigration plan that would be modeled on the point systems currently used in Canada and Australia. While the details provided so far indicate that the number of green cards that would be issued will not decrease, it is not clear how the administration will act with regards to the already existing undocumented immigrants.
President Trump announced his administration’s plans for the restructuring of the immigration system in the US
The proposal Trump will present is two-faceted: both the physical aspect and the system of immigration will be addressed. More specifically, the Republican administration’s plan is still fully intent on building the border wall and financing increased security checks and inspections along the border. Even with these physical measures, the White House is touting the plan as pro-immigration given its focus on bringing highly-skilled workers to the country. The proposed shift would mean an application would take into consideration education and employment offers, with preference given to those who can create jobs and economic growth in the US. This plan strongly resembles the point-style immigration system in Canada, where applicants earn points based on language proficiency, age, work, and education, with applicants aiming to score as many points as possible to qualify for a visa.
While this upcoming proposal can be used by the Trump team in the upcoming election, it will be hard to pass the proposal in Congress where Republicans no longer enjoy majority power. Democrats are concerned that the new immigration plan omits undocumented individuals already in the country and individuals who have obtained Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Democrats will be eager to receive more details on these key issues from the Trump administration and the rest of the GOP.
by Prozco®