The president seems to make announcements or write Tweets about changes to the immigration system on a daily or weekly basis. This happens amid other controversial comments regarding political enemies, perceived slights and other topics. Such is the case this week – he aggressively Tweeted about four liberal freshmen congresswomen (and allowed a racist chant about them at a political rally), the administration has also announced that it has drafted a new immigration bill.
A bill that all Republicans can support
Led by top adviser Jared Kushner, the bill has quietly been drafted with the language refined with help from the offices of 25 senators as well as others. The goal is to fulfill most of candidate Trump’s campaign trail promises as well as accommodate the interests of other influential members of the Republican party.
There is no guarantee that the bill will pass and seems unlikely to get through the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives. Instead of a new law, it may be a comprehensive new policy on immigration for Republicans as the country moves toward the 2020 elections.
Changes the bill proposes
The 620-page bill builds on an announcement in May regarding border security and legal immigration but did not address such issues as the “dreamers” and the 11 million people currently in the country illegally. Some major points include:
- Updates legal immigration with a system that uses merit-based approval
- Strengthens border security
- Tightens asylum procedures
- Increases interior enforcement
- Includes a new federal employment verification program known E-Verify
What does it mean?
The new bill could be a failure, a list of talking points for politicians, or it could mean real change in the Republican party. Whatever the outcome, changes to immigration seem to continue weekly. Those with questions on how politicians apply to these policies should talk to an experienced immigration law attorney who will have the most up-to-date information.
