President Trump’s Immigration Reform Agenda to Congress

On Sunday, the Trump administration proposed to Congress an immigration reform agenda focused on border security, interior enforcement, and curtailing legal immigration. Many of the reforms outlined in the proposal are ideas that Trump called for throughout his presidential campaign, including building a border wall and cracking down on illegal immigration. In the agenda, the administration also proposed harsher penalties for individuals who attempt to re-enter the U.S. after being deported. Focusing on interior enforcement, President Trump requested hiring an additional 10,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operation agency. Additionally, Trump requested that the current legal immigration system is changed into a merit-based system, weighing skill sets of candidates to favor those who meet industry needs.