Trump promised a 'radical change in US immigration policy'

On Friday, July 10, US President Donald Trump said he would seek sweeping changes to US immigration policy through an executive order that would create a "pathway to citizenship" for some migrants brought to the country illegally as children and translate the criteria for arrived in the “merit” system, writes Bloomberg.

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New efforts will be presented “over the next four weeks,” Trump said in an interview with Telemundo.

Critics, including senior members of the presidential party, immediately questioned whether Trump had the legal authority to review immigration laws without passing legislation through Congress.

The White House quickly published an explanation of the president’s proposal that he unilaterally pave the way for citizenship for children who were brought to the United States and who are protected by the Deferred Action Program upon arrival of children, or DACA. The statement said Trump would be looking for a way to negotiate with Congress.

“The President has long said he is committed to working with Congress on a negotiated legislative solution to DACA that could include citizenship, as well as strong border security and permanent merit-based reforms,” said Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere. — This does not include amnesty. "Unfortunately, Democrats have consistently rejected these proposals because they are against anything short of completely open borders."

On the subject: US Supreme Court Decides Fate of 'Dreamers': What Will Be DACA Program

According to Trump, whose initiatives were repeatedly blocked on Capitol Hill, as he insisted on efforts to tighten immigration criteria, he believed that the Supreme Court granted him new powers, rejecting attempts to curtail the Obama administration’s program granting legal status to some young migrants who are illegally in country.

“We're working through the legal complexities right now, but I'm going to sign a very important piece of immigration legislation as an executive order, which the Supreme Court has authorized me to do through the DACA decision,” Trump said.

Trump did not give a specific explanation for why he believed the Supreme Court's decision — which found the presidential administration did not follow proper procedure to end DACA — gave him significant new powers. At the same time, Trump described his initiative in interchangeable terms - “legislative act” and “executive order” and spoke with obvious contradiction about his plans for the DACA program.

“We introduced it, and we’re probably going to eliminate it,” he said.

However, Trump’s comments have alarmed some proponents of fierce immigration policies, including Senator Ted Cruise, a Texas Republican who said the proposed plan exceeded the president’s constitutional powers.

All this happens against the backdrop of the fact that the United States has largely stopped issuing new work visas and green cards for the remainder of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement issued in June, Trump froze the issuance of new visas to highly skilled workers, people changing jobs within multinational corporations, and those who participate in work and study programs abroad.

At the time, administration officials said the H-1B program for highly skilled workers would also be restructured to focus on potential immigrants with the highest wage offers.

Last year, President’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner proposed a comprehensive immigration audit that would require the cancellation of Democratic programs, including the green card lottery. Instead, additional “points” were offered as part of the merit system for citizens of some countries. This would contribute to the overall ranking, and visa applicants would increase their score after reaching a certain age, with knowledge of the English language, having a job offer with a certain range of salaries or certification within the framework of a certain professional training.

On the subject: WP: how the Trump administration turns legal immigrants into illegal

Kouchner’s plan was criticized because of the lack of clarity on what to do with those who are already in the country illegally and the lack of programs such as E-Verify, which allow employers to confirm their workers' visas. Republicans have long supported this system as one of the key components of immigration reform. Critics also said that the emphasis on hiring highly skilled workers could adversely affect the construction and agricultural sectors, depending on the work of immigrants.

However, Kouchner's plan can serve as the basis for the executive actions that Trump is preparing.

“It will be a very big bill, a very good merit-based bill, and it will include DACA, and I think people will be very happy,” Trump said.

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