April 26, 2019
The President and Congress Act on Visa Issues
While President Trump is moving forward with building a wall at the U.S./Mexico border, he is cracking down on other illegal immigration loopholes. This week, the President signed a memo that gives Homeland Security and the Department of State 120 days to propose a solution to illegal immigrants who overstay their visas. During 2018, a whopping 415,000 individuals stayed in the United States after their visa expired. To put that into perspective, that amount is similar to the population of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This massive influx of illegal immigration is problematic takes a toll on the economy, safety, and culture of our nation.
Meanwhile, Jared Kushner is working on a comprehensive immigration reform proposal that he plans to sell to the President. This could be dangerous since any type comprehensive reform would have to contain a large amount of amnesty in order to pass the House. Any measure of amnesty would be unacceptable. Those migrating to the U.S. because of the allure of amnesty have been subjected to trafficking, rape, and oppressive situations. Many of the aliens who enter illegally have been deported for serious crimes, but have been able to enter illegally on multiple occasions. Granting amnesty to these individuals would be a risk to both them and us.
Currently, the only legislation in Congress that has real promise is the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act (S. 1103 “RAISE Act”). The RAISE Act would protect American jobs by reducing the number of permanent foreign worker visas. It would eliminate the diversity visa lottery, limit permanent residency for refugees, and eliminate extended family migration. Our federal government allots one million lifetime work permits every year regardless of skills or demand. Lowering these allotments and focusing on a more merit-based system would boost America’s free market system. While this does not tackle illegal immigration, it is a great start to tightening up some of the problematic issues with our worker visa system.
Eagle Forum continues to help the President fulfill his promise of fighting illegal immigration. We will keep you updated on the President’s and Congress’s actions on these issues.