Trump calls for two-step process on immigration, pushes bipartisan deal

[webfact]

Trump calls for two-step process on immigration, pushes bipartisan deal

By Jeff Mason and Richard Cowan

 

U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), holds a bipartisan meeting with legislators on immigration reform at the White House in Washington, U.S. January 9, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would back a two-step immigration approach that initially protects young "Dreamer" immigrants from deportation if it includes immigration restrictions and provisions for a border wall with Mexico that Democrats have opposed.

 

At a White House meeting of Republican and Democratic lawmakers, Trump said after the first phase was complete he wanted to move quickly to even more contentious issues including a possible pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants that is opposed by many Republicans.

 

"If you want to take it that further step, I'll take the heat, I don't care," Trump told lawmakers of a broad immigration bill. "You are not that far away from comprehensive immigration reform."

 

Trump said he would sign any bill that gives legal status to undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children as long as it had the border security protections he has sought, including funding for a border wall.

 

"If you don't have the wall, you don't have security," Trump told the lawmakers.

 

Trump and his fellow Republicans, who control the U.S. Congress, have been unable to reach agreement with Democrats on a deal to resolve the status of an estimated 700,000 young immigrants whose protection from potential deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program ends in early March.

 

MIDTERM ELECTIONS

 

Under pressure from immigrant groups ahead of midterm congressional elections in November, Democrats are reluctant to give ground to Trump on the issue of the wall - his central promise from the 2016 presidential campaign.

 

But after the meeting, lawmaker from both parties said they would meet as early as Wednesday to continue negotiations on a deal covering DACA and border security, as well as a visa lottery program and "chain migration," which could address the status of relatives of Dreamers who are still in the United States illegally.

 

"From that standpoint it was a very productive meeting," said U.S. Senator David Perdue, a Republican. "We have a scope now."

 

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who also was at the meeting, said negotiators in Congress still faced difficulties but it was important that Trump had shown he had "no animosity toward the Dream Act kids" and the “wall is not going to be 2,220 miles wide."

 

The U.S. Congress has been trying and failing to pass a comprehensive immigration bill for more than a decade, most recently when the Senate passed one in 2013 that later died in the House of Representatives.

 

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters the broader bill with a path to citizenship was not a focus for now.

 

"Our focus is on the four things that I laid out. That's where our negotiation is and that's phase one," she said at a regular White House briefing.

 

"We're certainly open to talking about a number of other issues when it comes to immigration, but right now this administration is focused on those four things and that negotiation, and not a lot else at this front."

 

The immigration negotiations are part of a broader series of talks over issues ranging from funding the federal government through next September to renewing a children’s health insurance program and giving U.S. territories and states additional aid for rebuilding following last year’s hurricanes and wildfires.

 

Top congressional leaders did not attend the hour-long meeting. Instead, the guest list included lawmakers from both parties involved in the immigration debate, such as Republican Graham and Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, a Democrat.

 

Many of the Dreamers are from Mexico and Central America and have spent most of their lives in the United States, attending school and participating in society.

 

Trump put their fate in doubt in early September when he announced he was ending former President Barack Obama's DACA program, which allowed them to legally live and work in the United States temporarily.

 

Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House of Representatives, said a DACA bill could win support for passage even though there are differences between the parties over constitutes necessary border security.

 

"Democrats are for security at the border," Hoyer told Trump during the meeting. "There are obviously differences, however, Mr. President, on how you affect that."

 

On Monday, Trump announced that he was ending immigration protections for about 200,000 El Salvadorans who are living legally in the United States under the Temporary Protection Status program. Haitians and other groups have faced similar actions.

 

A congressional aide told Reuters that negotiators in Congress also have been talking about legislation that would expand TPS in return for ending a visa lottery program that Republicans want to terminate.

 

These discussions are part of broader talks on protecting Dreamers and enacting additional immigration law changes, including beefed up border security.

 

(Reporting by Steve Holland and Richard Cowan; Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell, Susan Heavey and Amanda Becker; Writing by John Whitesides; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Alistair Bell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-01-10

[spidermike007]

Again, this president is avoiding talk about legal immigration. The current immigration system desperately needs to be fixed, and you cannot address illegal immigration until you find solutions for legal immigration. The quota system is outdated, and hurts the US economy dramatically. The country no longer attracts the best and the brightest because it cannot. Making America great again? By denying the best and the brightest from all over the world, due to them not being able to get a visa to work for a top company? Really smart policy. NOT. 

 

As a result, the nation is having trouble getting high skilled workers into the U.S. The L-1B visa allows companies to bring people with "specialized knowledge" like engineers and programmers into the U.S. Denial rates have jumped since the 1990s.

National Foundation for American Policy

Requests for Evidence, which delay the L-1B application process, have also become the norm when in the past they were the exception.

National Foundation for American Policy

Suffering more than many other groups are specialists from India who see widespread visa petition denial because the nation produces a large volume of highly trained and educated specialists. 

National Foundation for American Policy

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/immigration-data-charts-reform-illegal-2013-1?op=1/#quests-for-evidence-which-delay-the-l-1b-application-process-have-also-become-the-norm-when-in-the-past-they-were-the-exception-14

 

 

[mrwebb8825]

Boy did you ever miss the topic of the OP. 

[boomerangutang]

Who can base anything on what Trump 'calls for'?

 

He flip flops hourly.  He's not reliable.  He doesn't stick with anything.  He has the focus of a canary at a carnival.

[212Roger]

#1  Build the wall!  The rest is secondary.

[spidermike007]

On 1/11/2018 at 10:25 AM, mrwebb8825 said:

Boy did you ever miss the topic of the OP. 

No. Quite the contrary. Everyone is Washington is discussing illegal immigration. Nobody is discussing how broken the system is. Nor are they discussing the antiquated quota system, which is creating tremendous hardship for American corporations looking to hire the best and the brightest from around the world. That is the point. That is what is being ignored in this racist, xenophobic, hate mongering debate. If the system is not reformed soon, the US will become a nation of dishwashers, grape pickers, and landscapers. 

 

Make America great again? The hooligan in chief is not even making an effort.

[mrwebb8825]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

No. Quite the contrary. Everyone is Washington is discussing illegal immigration. Nobody is discussing how broken the system is. Nor are they discussing the antiquated quota system, which is creating tremendous hardship for American corporations looking to hire the best and the brightest from around the world. That is the point. That is what is being ignored in this racist, xenophobic, hate mongering debate. If the system is not reformed soon, the US will become a nation of dishwashers, grape pickers, and landscapers. 

 

Make America great again? The hooligan in chief is not even making an effort.

Your charts all stop in 2011. **cough Obama cough**

[spidermike007]

20 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

Your charts all stop in 2011. **cough Obama cough**

 

Yes. I agree that Obama made little progress when it comes to reforming immigration policy. But, that does not excuse the boneheads lack of progress either. He continues to jabber on and on about illegal immigration, the whole while never even suggesting a fix for the system, that is totally broken. Not making America great again. Not even close. Just sucking up to the lobbyists, and whoring himself out to the highest bidder. That seems to be all this administration is about. Taking America away from the common folk, and handing it off to the corporations and the wealthiest. From the tax plan, to the health plans, to the environmental policies. Selling off the nation. No vision for the future. Take the money now.

[mrwebb8825]

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

 

Yes. I agree that Obama made little progress when it comes to reforming immigration policy. But, that does not excuse the boneheads lack of progress either. He continues to jabber on and on about illegal immigration, the whole while never even suggesting a fix for the system, that is totally broken. Not making America great again. Not even close. Just sucking up to the lobbyists, and whoring himself out to the highest bidder. That seems to be all this administration is about. Taking America away from the common folk, and handing it off to the corporations and the wealthiest. From the tax plan, to the health plans, to the environmental policies. Selling off the nation. No vision for the future. Take the money now.

So, you'll sit there and defend 8 years of knuckle dragging by the dems and fly into attack mode against President Trump at the 1 yr mark? Sad. 

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, mrwebb8825 said:

So, you'll sit there and defend 8 years of knuckle dragging by the dems and fly into attack mode against President Trump at the 1 yr mark? Sad. 

What's sad is the Trump proposed to slash Immigration control programs that are proven to work for the the publicity stunt of a wall.

[spidermike007]

21 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

So, you'll sit there and defend 8 years of knuckle dragging by the dems and fly into attack mode against President Trump at the 1 yr mark? Sad. 

 

I was not defending 8 years of Obama. I was not fond of him, and objected to alot of his policies. This is one of the things I cannot understand about Trump supporters. It feels as if there is no room for debate. It is a if the man is a saint, and his virtues and choices cannot be questioned. Open minded, are we?

[ballpoint]

He wanted to include more steps, but couldn't think of a number bigger than two.

[mrwebb8825]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

 

I was not defending 8 years of Obama. I was not fond of him, and objected to alot of his policies. This is one of the things I cannot understand about Trump supporters. It feels as if there is no room for debate. It is a if the man is a saint, and his virtues and choices cannot be questioned. Open minded, are we?

There's plenty of room for debate but a blatant attack and repeated character assassination is not really what the term 'debate' means.

[mrwebb8825]

21 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:

What's sad is the Trump proposed to slash Immigration control programs that are proven to work for the the publicity stunt of a wall.

Proven to work as in, the Orlando shooting where the shooter came in on the chain-immigration policy? Proven to work as in the San Bernardino shooting where the shooters came in on the fiancee visa program? Or maybe you were referring to the murder of the girl on the pier where the shooter had already been deported 5 times because there was no wall to deter him?

[ilostmypassword]

2 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

Proven to work as in, the Orlando shooting where the shooter came in on the chain-immigration policy? Proven to work as in the San Bernardino shooting where the shooters came in on the fiancee visa program? Or maybe you were referring to the murder of the girl on the pier where the shooter had already been deported 5 times because there was no wall to deter him?

 

And what has building a wall to do with chain immigration? And what proof is there that building a wall will actually stop or  illegal border crossings better or even as well as  the border control programs that Trump wants to slash? The evidence is quite to the contrary.

To Pay for Wall, Trump Would Cut Proven Border Security Measures

The Trump administration would cut or delay funding for border surveillance, radar technology, patrol boats and customs agents in its upcoming spending plan to curb illegal immigration — all proven security measures that officials and experts have said are more effective than building a wall along the Mexican border...

But security experts said the president’s focus on a border wall ignores the constantly evolving nature of terrorism, immigration and drug trafficking.

“People that are dealing with this issue know that a third-century solution to a 21st-century problem is not going to fix this long-term,” said Representative Will Hurd, Republican of Texas and a former C.I.A. officer. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/08/us/politics/trump-border-wall-funding-surveillance.html

 

There is not one Senator or Congressperson, Republican or Democrat, who represents districts or states bordering on on Mexico, who supports the wall.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/330045-no-congress-members-along-mexico-border-support-funding-trumps

 

[Credo]

9 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

Proven to work as in, the Orlando shooting where the shooter came in on the chain-immigration policy? Proven to work as in the San Bernardino shooting where the shooters came in on the fiancee visa program? Or maybe you were referring to the murder of the girl on the pier where the shooter had already been deported 5 times because there was no wall to deter him?

So what you are suggesting is to get rid of chain migration?   You do know that means that Americans married to foreign spouses will not be able to bring them to the US?   You do understand that if you're wife has children from a previous marriage, they can't come either?   

 

[Jingthing]

Want to end "chain" migration? So much for American family values. There really is a contradiction there. 

[Jingthing]

trump is suggesting that any deal to save the DACA people is probably dead. Sad. Very sad. Of course he blames the democrats. I blame him. Just do the DACA thing clean and it's done. If they get deported, it's all on HIM.

 

 

[spidermike007]

22 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

There's plenty of room for debate but a blatant attack and repeated character assassination is not really what the term 'debate' means.

 

A reasonable point. But he invites character assassination with his complete lack of character. Even my friends who are ardent supporters, admit what an incredible fool this man is. It is hard to defend him. How do you begin to defend him, besides using the lame excuse that we MUST offer our respect to the office of the president. Where I come from, respect is earned, NOT freely given. He has not earned any respect. He does dumb things daily. He behaves like a circus clown and he is a huckster. Plain and simple.

[lannarebirth]

12 hours ago, Credo said:

So what you are suggesting is to get rid of chain migration?   You do know that means that Americans married to foreign spouses will not be able to bring them to the US?   You do understand that if you're wife has children from a previous marriage, they can't come either?   

 

That's not true either for the spouse or the children, unless they are non minors.

[Credo]

12 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

That's not true either for the spouse or the children, unless they are non minors.

And you know that how?   The primary method of immigration is the sponsoring of immediate family.   If they go merit-based, then good luck with a lot of the overseas spouses.   Best of luck if your wife has a child from a previous marriage, etc., etc. 

[lannarebirth]

11 minutes ago, Credo said:

And you know that how?   The primary method of immigration is the sponsoring of immediate family.   If they go merit-based, then good luck with a lot of the overseas spouses.   Best of luck if your wife has a child from a previous marriage, etc., etc. 

The primary method of immigration is based on your "preference" level. US citizens making petitions have the highest preference level with respect to minor children, whether they be your biological chidren or stepchildren.. Spouses are another process altogether.

 

https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-us-citizens

 

https://www.uscis.gov/tools/glossary/preference-system-immigration-act-1990

Edited January 15, 2018 by lannarebirth

[Credo]

7 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

The primary method of immigration is based on your "preference" level. US citizens making petitions have the highest preference level with respect to minor children, whether they be your biological chidren or stepchildren.. Spouses are another process altogether.

 

https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-us-citizens

 

https://www.uscis.gov/tools/glossary/preference-system-immigration-act-1990

That's what it is NOW.   That is part of what they are talking about ending with Chain Migration.   Where one family member can file a petition to bring over additional family members.   

 

 

 

[lannarebirth]

Just now, Credo said:

That's what it is NOW.   That is part of what they are talking about ending with Chain Migration.   Where one family member can file a petition to bring over additional family members.   

 

 

 

One of the issues with chain migration is that mere Permanent Residents may make multiple appeals for relative visas. It shoukd be US citizens only. That takes care of spouse and children and in 3-5 years IF a PR chooses citizenship then they can make their own limited visa appeals.