President Trump warned legislators on Friday not to include any language that would automatically allow relatives of immigrants to be admitted to the U.S. in a potential comprehensive immigration reform bill.
“CHAIN MIGRATION cannot be allowed to be part of any legislation on Immigration!” Trump tweeted.
CHAIN MIGRATION cannot be allowed to be part of any legislation on Immigration!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 15, 2017
Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he was in talks with Republican and Democratic leaders about a tentative bipartisan deal to pass the Dream Act, which would protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipents. The bill would have to include border security measures, Trump added.
Trump said House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi were all working together on the plan.
It’s not clear if those negotiations included the idea of chain migration.
In early August, Trump endorsed a revised Senate bill that would implement a merit-based point system for foreigners who apply for legal permanent status, or green cards, through their employer.
The current immigration system often benefits family members of current U.S. residents, but GOP Sens. David Perdue of Georgia and Tom Cotton of Arkansas are pushing for a change that would force the U.S. to weigh the skill sets of potential candidates and favor those with more skills. The new version outlines how the specific demands of the U.S. workforce would determine which immigrants are needed, and thus, granted visas.
The change is meant to make the application process fairer and allow applicants to know what their chances are of being approved before applying. People can go online, answer questions about their education and employment experience, and learn if their background would help fill a workplace shortage in the United States. Applicants would also receive a score to give them a concrete idea of their chances of obtaining a visa.
The diversity visa lottery would be eliminated while the number of green cards or documents for permanent residents would increase.
Family immigration categories would be narrowed to no longer include extended family members and adult children of U.S. citizens. However, citizens are able to apply for renewable, temporary visas for elderly parents.
If passed, the 1 million legal immigrants who enter the U.S. annually would drop to somewhere between 500,000 and 600,000 people by 2027, putting it in line with historic norms.
