It is expected that President Donald Trump will introduce a new immigration proposal on Thursday, May 16 that will shift the United States’ immigration system toward one that admits immigrants based on merit and not on family relationships and increases security at the southern border.
The plan, spearheaded by White House senior advisor Jared Kushner, is said to not change the overall number of admitted immigrants or address the illegal immigration population.
As we reported last week, Mr. Kushner socialized the plan with a group of Republican senators last week and has also met with the Senate Republican conference. The proposal does not include plans for the “Dreamers,” who remain a priority for Democrats. While the full details will be released tomorrow, there is already speculation that the plan will not have the support of Congress.
While the total number of immigrants will not change, the qualifications and process for approval would. The plan would introduce a points-based system and applicants seeking “Build America” visas would be scored based on the level of education they’ve attained, their English-speaking proficiency, and whether they have a current offer of employment from an American company or organization. It is also expected that the plan will end the diversity visa lottery program, allocating the 50,000 visas given each year to individuals from countries with low rates of immigration instead to employment-based applicants.
For EIG’s earlier reporting on this immigration plan, read here.