Throughout the immigration debates of the last decade, the path to citizenship has been one of the most contentious issues, and President Trump himself has maintained an inconsistent stance on the matter. In an interview several days ago, Trump expressed a willingness to consider citizenship for "Dreamers" who arrived in the United States as children.
However, the proposal to cut family-sponsored immigration is certain to meet opposition from the Democratic Party, as it represents a nearly 25% reduction in legal immigration. According to the new plan, Miller stated, U.S. citizens and green card holders will only be permitted to sponsor their spouses and minor children for entry into the United States.
The White House presented its requirements for immigration reform on the 24th, stating that they will be formally submitted to Congress for discussion. The immigration reform proposal includes the following four key points:
① Strengthen border security and close legal loopholes;
② End "chain migration" based on family units;
③ End the "visa lottery" system;
④ Find a permanent solution for the "Dreamers" policy.
The statement said: "The White House will release a legislative framework on the 29th. This document reflects the results of a bipartisan compromise and should therefore be capable of garnering support from both parties."
These four frameworks essentially maintain the objectives President Trump has expressed since taking office. Last year, two Republican senators drafted an immigration reform bill intended to emulate the points-based naturalization systems of countries like Canada and Australia; while supported by Trump, it failed to advance due to a lack of sufficient support in Congress.
Four Key Priorities of the New Immigration Framework
1. Dreamers
This bill will provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children. The number of immigrants covered will be larger than the group protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program during the Obama era. DACA covered nearly 800,000 people, but Miller stated that the new plan could affect up to 1.8 million.
According to Trump’s figures, immigrants eligible to apply for naturalization may face a 10- to 12-year process. "We're going to morph," Trump told reporters. "I think it's a nice thing, to have the incentive, and after a period of time, to be able to become a citizen."
2. Border Wall
The White House has proposed a $25 billion "trust fund" to build at least a portion of a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Although the border wall has been a sticking point for Congressional Democrats, Trump stated on the 24th, "If you don't have the wall, you don't have the Dream Act."
These plans also call for other security improvements along the southern and northern borders.
For Democrats, the border wall remains a contentious issue. Last week, during government budget negotiations, Senate Minority Leader and New York Senator Chuck Schumer told Trump that he would agree to exchange border wall funding for the protection of Dreamers, but this was rejected by Trump.
After a weekend of mutual recriminations and the collapse of negotiations, Schumer withdrew his offer to fund the wall, and at this point, it is unclear whether Democrats are willing to put it back on the table.
3. Family-Based "Chain" Migration
The plan will limit immigration to "nuclear family members" only—that is, spouses and minor children.
Based on an analysis of Department of Homeland Security data, this proposal targeting family immigration would cut approximately 1 million immigrants annually.
In 2016, the U.S. government granted legal permanent residency—i.e., green cards—to 1.2 million foreign nationals. More than 260,000 of these green cards, or 23%, were given to parents, adult children, siblings, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews of U.S. citizens and green card holders.
4. Green Card Lottery
This would end what critics call the "Green Card Lottery" and reallocate these slots to family-based and high-skilled visas. Miller said that once these slots are filled, the green card lottery will be completely terminated.