IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump embraced legislation on Wednesday [8-2-17] that would overhaul decades of immigration policy by replacing a system that favors family ties in deciding who can legally move to the United States with one based on skills and employability.
At a White House announcement with two Republican senators, Mr. Trump put his weight behind a bill that encapsulates his longstanding support for judging applicants for legal residency on the basis of what they offer the United States. He argued that the United States has accepted too many low-skilled immigrants for too long…
The bill, sponsored by Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia, revives an idea that was included in broader immigration legislation supported by President George W. Bush in 2007 but that failed in Congress. Republican supporters argue that it would modernize immigration policy that had not been updated significantly in half a century, but critics in both parties contended it would harm the economy by keeping out workers who filled low-wage jobs that Americans did not want.
Under the current system, most legal immigrants are admitted to the United States based on family ties. American citizens can sponsor spouses, parents and minor children for visas that are not subject to any numerical caps, while siblings and adult children get preferences for a limited number of visas available to them. Legal permanent residents holding green cards can also sponsor spouses and children.”
-Peter Baker, “Trump Supports Bill Basing Immigration on Skills and Employability,” The New York Times online, Aug. 2, 2017