Donald Trump releases his 70-point immigration blueprint

  Earlier today Donald Trump released his 70-point immigration blueprint (I am calling it a “blueprint” and not a “plan” because this is supposed to be a negotiating starting point) which would allow dreamers to remain in the United States with some concessions coming from the Democrats in return. 

  Here is more:

The Trump Administration said on Sunday it is “ready to work with Congress” on three immigration objectives: border security (fund and build a southern wall); interior enforcement (uphold immigration laws and return visa overstays); and merit-based immigration (green cards for spouses and minor children only; establish a merit-based system that puts skills ahead of family connections).

And here are some of the main points:

Security:

— Complete construction of the southern border wall, to be paid for in part by allowing the Department of Homeland Security to raise fees from the processing of immigration-benefit applications;
— Prompt removal of minors, including unaccompanied alien children, and relatives crossing the border illegally.
— Stricter standards for people who claim asylum;
— Expand the expedited removal process, including hiring an additional 370 Immigration Judges and 1,000 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorneys;

 

Interior Enforcement:

— Stop sanctuary cities by making them ineligible for certain federal grants;
— Hire an additional 10,000 ICE officers and 300 Federal prosecutors to handle immigration cases and boost law enforcement;
— End visa overstays;
— End catch-and-release;
— Prevent gang members from receiving immigration benefits.
— Protect U.S. workers by requiring E-Verify and strengthening laws to stop employment discrimination against U.S. workers.

 

Merit-Based Reforms:

— End chain migration by limiting family-based green cards to spouses and minor children of immigrants who are here legally;
— Establish a point-based system for awarding green cards that protects U.S. workers and taxpayers, encourages assimilation, and ensures the financial self-sufficiency of newcomers;
— Eliminate the ‘Diversity Visa’ lottery that awards 50,000 green cards at random to foreign nationals, many of whom have absolutely no ties to the United States, no special skills, and limited education;
— Set the number of refugees at an ‘appropriate level’.

Needless to say this was rejected out of hand by Democratic leadership:

In joint statement, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the plan “anathema to Dreamers,” to immigrants in general, and to the “vast majority” of Americans.

 

“We told the President at our meeting that we were open to reasonable border security measures alongside the DREAM Act, but this list goes so far beyond what is reasonable. This proposal fails to represent any attempt at compromise,” Schumer and Pelosi wrote.

 

“The list includes the wall, which was explicitly ruled out of the negotiations. If the President was serious about protecting the Dreamers, his staff has not made a good faith effort to do so.”

  Luis Gutiérrez went so far as to call this plan an “extension of the white supremacist agenda” on Sunday. 

  As I wrote above, this is a starting point, a negotiation tactic of starting high and bargaining down to a point both sides can agree to. But it is clear the Democratic leadership has a different idea of what negotiating means: they seem to believe it is give us what we want in return for nothing.

  In the recent past the Democrats have claimed that Donald Trump was trying to hold the dreamers hostages to push his immigration plan but I think we are seeing just the opposite. I believe the Democrats have made the political calculation that it would benefit the party if there was no DREAM Act compromise. They would rather see the dreamers deported so they can use it against Donald Trump and the Republicans in 2018 and 2020.

malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium