Trump backs GOP plan to reform immigration policies

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump embraced legislation Wednesday that would prioritize merit and skills in the nation’s immigration policies.

Trump joined with Republican Sens. David Perdue of Georgia and Tom Cotton of Arkansas to promote the bill.

“This legislation demonstrates our compassion for struggling American families who deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first and puts America first,” Trump said during an event in the White House’s Roosevelt Room.

It was the latest example of the president championing an issue that animated 2016 voters.

Perdue and Cotton’s legislation would reform the current process for obtaining legal permanent residency, or green cards, creating a skillsbased point system for employment visas. The bill would also eliminate the preference for U.S. residents’ extended and adult family members, while maintaining priority for their spouses and minor children.

Overall, immigration would be reduced 41 percent in the legislation’s first year and 50 percent in its 10th, according to projection models cited by the bill’s sponsors. The bill would also aim to reduce the number of refugees and eliminate a program that provides visas to people from countries with low rates of immigration.

The rollout included a press briefing led by Trump policy aide Stephen Miller, who answered questions from combative media members over the plan.

The president has made cracking down on illegal immigration a hallmark of his administration and has promised to cut federal funding for cities that refuse to comply with federal efforts to detain and deport illegal immigrants.

The bill’s supporters say it would make the U.S. more competitive, raise wages and create jobs.

Backers said the bill would sharply increase the proportion of green cards available to high-skilled workers and would not affect other high or low-skilled worker visa programs such as H1-B and H2-B visas.

The White House said that only 1 in 15 immigrants comes to the U.S. because of their skills, and the current system fails to place a priority

on highly skilled immigrants.

Democrats quickly dismissed it the proposal.

“The bottom line is to cut immigration by half a million people, legal immigration, doesn’t make much sense,” said Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer of New York.

The bill would create a new points-based system for applicants seeking to become legal permanent residents, favoring those who can speak English, have high-paying job offers, can financially support themselves and offer skills that would contribute to the U.S. economy. A little more than 1 million green cards were issued in 2015.

In a nod to his outreach to blue-collar workers during the campaign, Trump said the measure would prevent new immigrants from collecting welfare for a period of time and help U.S. workers by reducing the number of unskilled laborers entering the U.S.

Trump has long advocated for the changes and vowed during an immigration speech in Phoenix last August to overhaul the legal immigration system “to serve the best interests of America and its workers.” He voiced support for the Senate bill at a rally last week in Ohio, where his call for a “merit-based system” that “protects our workers” generated loud cheers.