President Donald Trump offers to overhaul the immigration system by shifting the number of immigrants entering the country through family ties in favor of a merit-based system prioritizing language skills and job prospects.
The president stressed that it will create a lawful, modern and a fair immigration system. “Under these senseless rules of the current system, we're not able to give preference to a doctor or researcher.”
Supporters say a merit-based system long overdue.
“That's a sure way of improving the economy and ensuring that folks who come over don't end up as a welfare burden to American society,” says Hans von Spakovsky, senior legal fellow at The Heritage Center.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the plan "shameful." Von Spakovsky says she is clearly wrong.
“If that's true, why in the world do countries like Australia, Canada, Germany and Japan all have that kind of system?"
Trump noted that his plan includes the massive wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. He also mentioned that the plan will stop the smuggling of migrant children and would fix a broken asylum system.
Meanwhile, a new Harvard/Harris poll shows only 2-in-15 Americans correctly said there are between 250,000 to 500,000 border apprehensions each year.