Trump SOTU Address - Merit-Based Immigration and other comments on Immigration

In his second State of the Union (SOTU) address on February 5, 2019, President Trump addressed immigration. Some of his remarks on immigration included:

1. Merit-Based Immigration. Trump made a strong pitch for merit-based immigration, which is a point system that would assign each applicant a certain number of points based on their qualifications; and this points system would determine their qualifications for US permanent residency. The proposed bill is being called the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act or the RAISE Act; and the Act states that one must get at least 30 points to qualify for a Green Card in the U.S.

2. Chain Migration. Trump called for ending “chain migration”, which allows applicants the ability to gain legal entry into America, through sponsorship by a family member who is already a legal resident or citizen of the US.

3. Protection of Southern border. Trump asked Congress to defend the “very dangerous southern border”. He said that “wealthy politicians and donors push for open borders while living their lives behind walls and gates and guards.” Meanwhile, “working class Americans are left to pay the price for mass illegal migration -- reduced jobs, lower wages, overburdened schools and hospitals, increased crime, and a depleted social safety net.” He has ordered 3,750 troops to protect southern border from pending caravan of immigrants coming from “Mexican cities”.

4. Border Wall. Trump urged the need for a border wall and said it will be “a smart, strategic, see-through steel barrier -- not just a simple concrete wall”.

For full SOTU address, please see this link: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sotu. We continue to monitor the latest immigration issues.

For full SOTU address, please see this link: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sotu. We continue to monitor the latest immigration issues.