President Trump made clear Wednesday that he wants to not just enforce the immigration laws on the books but drastically change them, admitting fewer immigrants and making skills a higher priority in determining who is let in.
That is a major development in a debate that has largely been dominated by distinctions between legal and illegal immigration.
The bill sponsored by Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and David Perdue, R-Ga., that Trump endorsed at the White House goes beyond building the wall or dealing with illegal immigration. The RAISE Act would drastically reduce legal immigration and move away from a system where most immigrants are admitted because of who they are related to rather than what they can contribute to the U.S. economy.
“This policy has placed substantial pressure on American workers, taxpayers and community resources,” Trump said. “Among those hit the hardest in recent years have been immigrants and, very importantly, minority workers competing for jobs against brand-new arrivals. And it has not been fair to our people, to our citizens, to our workers.”