Trump plan would shift immigration focus to 'merit'
WASHINGTON (AP) — Unveiling a new immigration plan, President Donald Trump said he wanted to provide a sharp contrast with Democrats, and he did – aiming to upend decades of family-based immigration policy with a new approach that favors younger, "totally brilliant," high-skilled workers he says won't compete for American jobs.
Trump's sweeping immigration plan is more a campaign document than anything else. It's a White House attempt to stretch beyond the "build-the-wall" rhetoric that swept the president to office but may not be enough to deliver him a second term. As Trump heads into reelection season, his campaign sees the plan as a way to help him look more reasonable on a signature issue than he often seems – and to cast Democrats as blocking him.
Trump's Rose Garden address was tempered. By this morning, while he requested Democratic support, Trump fired off tweets about bad "hombres" moving into the United States and how they will be removed.
"Border Patrol is apprehending record numbers of people at the Southern Border. The bad 'hombres,' of which there are many, are being detained & will be sent home," Trump tweeted.
"All people that are illegally coming into the United States now will be removed from our Country at a later date as we build up our removal forces and as the laws are changed. ... Please do not make yourselves too comfortable, you will be leaving soon!"
Trump said Thursday that his new system, with points given for those with advanced degrees, job offers and other attributes, will make it exactly "clear what standards we ask you to achieve."