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White House Proposal Extends Amnesty for 1.8
Million Illegals in Exchange for 25 Billion for Wall, End of Chain Migration,
Visa Lottery
The White House revealed a proposal to extend legal
status and a path for citizenship for 1.8 million illegal immigrants brought to
the country as children in exchange for $25 billion in funding for the wall, an
end to chain migration across the board, and an end to the visa lottery
program.
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I have offered DACA a
wonderful deal, including a doubling in the number of recipients & a twelve
year pathway to citizenship, for two reasons: (1) Because the Republicans want
to fix a long time terrible problem. (2) To show that Democrats do not want to
solve DACA, only use it!
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Democrats are not
interested in Border Safety & Security or in the funding and rebuilding of
our Military. They are only interested in Obstruction!
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The bill’s framework would apply to the roughly 690,000
illegal immigrants who registered for the DACA program started by former
President Barack Obama as well as illegal immigrants who did not apply. A
senior administration official told reporters that the 1.8 million number would
be restricted by minor adjustments to timeframes and dates of entry issues.
“The argument is by some people in Congress is that there
is another 690,000 roughly that never got around to registering but fall into
the general category, age, and all the rest of it,” the official said. “Those
combined come to 1.8 million.”
The path to citizenship would require a 10-12 year period
where recipients would be required to demonstrate good behavior, work and
education requirements, and good moral character.
A senior White House official described the plan as an
“extraordinarily generous concession” with Democrats but made several demands
considered non-starters by members of Congress supporting amnesty.
The White House said that it intended to send the
framework to Senate Majority Mitch McConnell, who promised Democrats a vote on
the Senate floor by February 8.
The framework includes a $25 billion lump sum “trust
fund” for a border security “wall system” for not only the Southern border but
major security investments on the Northern border as well.
It also includes sweeping limitations for chain migration
— limiting family immigration sponsorships to only spouses and minor children —
not for parents or extended family members.
The new migration limitations would apply to all
immigrants in the United States, not just the newly legalized 1.8 million.
“It will never, ever, ever, ever, work unless it’s
universal,” the official noted. “It’s a global change to the U.S. immigration
system.”
The bill framework was described as an effort to
show exactly what the president wanted in a bill after open borders advocates
complained that they had no idea where the president stood in their
negotiations.
The proposal would also end the visa lottery program
and reallocate them towards fulfilling the skills-based visa backlog.
The official noted that the current legislation was
“galaxies apart” from what Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer discussed with
Trump over lunch before the government shutdown, but felt that it was a plan
that could get 60 votes in the Senate.
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To understand the scale of the challenge that Chain Migration poses to those in charge of our nation’s checks and screening processes, it is worth providing some numerical context.
President Trump has repeatedly
stated that Congress must end Chain Migration as part of any legislative deal
on DACA.
Under our current Chain Migration system, newcomers are admitted to
the United States based on family ties and distant relations, as opposed to a
merit-based system that selects newcomers based on economic and national
security criteria.
The large influx of predominantly
low-skilled migrants has had substantial fiscal and national security
consequences.
To understand the scale of the challenge that Chain Migration
poses to those in charge of our nation’s checks and screening processes, it is
worth providing some numerical context.
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WHITE HOUSE FRAMEWORK ON IMMIGRATION REFORM
&
BORDER SECURITY
BORDER SECURITY: Securing the Southern and
Northern border of the United States takes a combination of physical
infrastructure, technology, personnel, resources, authorities, and the ability
to close legal loopholes that are exploited by smugglers, traffickers, cartels,
criminals and terrorists.
- The
Department of Homeland Security must have the tools to deter illegal
immigration; the ability to remove individuals who illegally enter the
United States; and the vital authorities necessary to protect national
security.
- These
measures below are the minimum tools necessary to mitigate the rapidly
growing surge of illegal immigration.
- $25
billion trust fund for the border wall system, ports of entry/exit, and
northern border improvements and enhancements.
- Close
crippling personnel deficiencies by appropriating additional funds to hire
new DHS personnel, ICE attorneys, immigration judges, prosecutors and
other law enforcement professionals.
- Hiring
and pay reforms to ensure the recruitment and retention of
critically-needed personnel.
- Deter
illegal entry by ending dangerous statutorily-imposed catch-and-release
and by closing legal loopholes that have eroded our ability to secure the
immigration system and protect public safety.
- Ensure
the detention and removal of criminal aliens, gang members, violent
offenders, and aggravated felons.
- Ensure
the prompt removal of illegal border-crossers regardless of country of
origin.
- Deter
visa overstays with efficient removal.
- Ensure
synthetic drugs (fentanyl) are prevented from entering the country.
- Institute
immigration court reforms to improve efficiency and prevent fraud and
abuse.
DACA LEGALIZATION: Provide legal status for
DACA recipients and other DACA-eligible illegal immigrants, adjusting the time-frame
to encompass a total population of approximately 1.8 million individuals.
- 10-12
year path to citizenship, with requirements for work, education and good
moral character.
- Clear
eligibility requirements to mitigate fraud.
- Status
is subject to revocation for criminal conduct or public safety and
national security concerns, public charge, fraud, etc.
PROTECT THE NUCLEAR FAMILY: Protect the
nuclear family by emphasizing close familial relationships.
- Promote
nuclear family migration by limiting family sponsorships to spouses and
minor children only (for both Citizens and LPRs), ending extended-family
chain migration.
- Apply
these changes prospectively, not retroactively, by processing the
“backlog.”
ELIMINATE LOTTERY AND REPURPOSE VISAS: The
Visa Lottery selects individuals at random to come to
the United States without consideration of
skills, merit or public safety.
- This
program is riddled with fraud and abuse and does not serve the national
interest.
- Eliminate
lottery and reallocate the visas to reduce the family-based “backlog” and
high-skilled employment “backlog.”
