The Latest Immigration Crisis

Immigration reform has been one of the most controversial issues of Donald Trump’s presidency so far. Last week, Congress and the president took a few steps forward – and several steps back – in its journey toward a compromise on the crucial issue of immigration.

American Dreamers

Last September, Election Central took a look at Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. Under DACA, which was established by President Obama, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children–otherwise known as “Dreamers”–were allowed to apply for renewable two-year visas that allowed them to remain in the country safely and without fear of deportation for as long as they wanted to. Even though they would never become legal citizens, they were allowed to work legally in the U.S. and were required to pay taxes. Over 800,000 Dreamers have benefitted from this program since it began in 2012. However, in September, Trump declared DACA unconstitutional and demanded that Congress present him with a new plan for immigration reform. The deadline? Midnight on January 19. Otherwise, DACA will be phased out completely by March.

Related Link: Last September’s story about the decision to end the DACA program.

A Great Compromise

Last Thursday, a bipartisan group of six senators presented the president with a tentative immigration reform package. The plan proposed a solution for the Dreamers, as well as making the following changes:

• Allows U.S. citizens to sponsor certain relatives for citizenship
• Establishes a lottery system that would distribute 50,000 visas per year to people of “merit” from nations with low rates of immigration to the U.S.
• Allocates $1.5 billion for design and construction of Trump’s border wall between the U.S. and Mexico
• Allocates $1 billion for additional border surveillance, technology, and patrol workers
• Allows DACA recipients a minimum ten-year path to citizenship
• Specifies that parents of DACA recipients will not be allowed citizenship

But Trump reacted angrily to the plan, especially to the part about the lottery system, and went on to make inflammatory comments about some of the nations who would receive the visas through the lottery. Instead, he advocated for a “merit-based” system of immigration, meaning that only immigrants with high levels of skills, education, or special talent are allowed into the country. He also expressed anger that the new plan didn’t set aside enough funds for the Wall he wants to build between the United States and Mexico.

Congress Responds

After the president’s inflammatory comments sparked worldwide anger, many members of Congress began to fear that no compromise on immigration would ever be reached. In response, small groups of Congress members have begun meeting to create their own immigration plans. Four Republicans in the House of Representatives have created a conservative package that includes the following provisions:

• Allows Dreamers to apply for legal residency every three years
• Authorizes construction of border walls and fencing
• Allows border security to hire at least 10,000 new border agents
• Ends the visa lottery program
• Ends the ability of U.S. citizens to move family members to the U.S.
• Withholds federal funding from “sanctuary cities,” or cities which refuse to enforce federal immigration laws
• Widens the use of an E-Verify system to check employees’ immigration statuses

However, while Trump may prefer this plan, it is unlikely that it will receive any support from Democrats. It remains to be seen whether or not any kind of compromise will be reached in Congress in time for the January 19 deadline.

What Do You Think? Imagine that you are a member of Congress. Create an immigration plan with at least three key points that you think Democrats and Republicans alike might be able to agree to.