Pro-amnesty Democrats insisted President Donald Trump should send them a shorter list of immigration priorities — so he sent them on Friday a new copy of his October 8 priorities plus a new cost estimate for his border wall.
The estimate for the 700-mile border wall says it will cost the government $18 billion, or roughly 1 cent for every $20 spent by the federal government.
Democratic leader Sen. Dick Durbin issued an angry response to Trump’s tough negotiating style:
It’s outrageous that the White House would undercut months of bipartisan efforts by again trying to put its entire wish-list of hardline anti-immigrant bills—plus an additional $18 billion in wall funding—on the backs of these young [illegal immigrants] people.
Bipartisan negotiations continue in good faith among senators who understand what is at stake, and I will continue my efforts to reach a bipartisan agreement.
Durbin also tried to blame Trump for the Democrats’ refusal to offer any significant border security upgrade, or to accept any cutback of the annual chain immigration inflow which lowers’ Americans wages and drives up housing and rental prices:
I’ve been clear from the beginning that Senate Democrats will consider reasonable border security measures in order to pass the Dream Act into law. The Trump Administration set this crisis in motion when it ended DACA four months ago.
Durbin also revived the Democrats’ intermittent threat to shut down the government if Trump does not quit his popular, election-winning, wage-raising, pro-American immigration policies. Durbin said:
President Trump has said he may need a good government shutdown to get his wall. With this demand, he seems to be heading in that direction.
In December, Trump called the Democrats’ bluffed threat to shut down government spending if they didn’t get an amnesty.
Democrats are scrambling to find an answer to Trump’s policies, in part, because their base is protesting the loss of work-permits for almost 700,000 ‘DACA’ illegal immigrants. Durbin’s statement said:
More than 14,500 Dreamers have already lost their DACA status, and beginning on March 5th, 1,000 additional young people will lose this protection each day.
The scheduled loss of work-permits for roughly 300,000 illegals by November will help American voters switch jobs to get higher wages in the run-up to the 2018 election.
Durbin’s outburst came one day after his bipartisan group of pro-amnesty Senators split Thursday.
GOP Sen. Thom Tillis and Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford quit the group, saying Democrats refused to negotiate new security measures.
Their departure leaves Colo. Sen. Cory Gardner and Sen. Lindsey Graham as the lead GOP advocates for the Democrats’ huge, fast-track DREAM Act amnesty for up to 3.25 million illegals plus their chain-migration relatives.
Retiring GOP Sen. Jeff Flake is part of the group, and is still insisting the pro-amnesty group is making progress. According to a report in TheHill.com:
Arizona GOP Sen. Jeff Flake said that “the small group that’s been meeting — myself, and [Sens.] Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Mike Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) — we’re very close,” to striking a deal to take care of the nearly 800,000 immigrants whose parents brought them to the U.S. illegally that were granted DACA protected status.
Flake added, “now we’ve got to sell that to more of our colleagues, but that small bipartisan group is very close.”
The political standoff will likely ensure that both parties will ask voters in November to settle their disagreement over wages, immigration, and amnesty.
According to Durbin, the new Trump document matches the immigration principles which Trump released to Americans voters on October 8.
The October document called for reductions in immigration — which would likely drive up wages — and said:
IMMIGRATION PRINCIPLES & POLICIES
1. Border Security
A. Border Wall. Our porous southern border presents a clear threat to our national security and public safety, and is exploited by drug traffickers and criminal cartels. The Administration therefore proposes completing construction of a wall along the southern border of the United States.
i. Ensure funding for the southern border wall and associated infrastructure.
ii. Authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to raise, collect, and use certain processing fees from immigration benefit applications and border crossings for functions related to border security, physical infrastructure, and law enforcement.
iii. Improve infrastructure and security on the northern border.
B. Unaccompanied Alien Children. Loopholes in current law prevent “Unaccompanied Alien Children” (UACs) that arrive in the country illegally from being removed. Rather than being deported, they are instead sheltered by the Department of Health and Human Services at taxpayer expense, and subsequently released to the custody of a parent or family member—who often lack lawful status in the United States themselves. These loopholes in current law create a dramatic pull factor for additional illegal immigration and in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the apprehensions of UACs at our southern border. Therefore, the Administration proposes amending current law to ensure the expeditious return of UACs and family units.
i. Amend the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008(TVRPA) to treat all UACs the same regardless of their country of origin, so long as they are not victims of human trafficking and can be safely returned home or removed to safe third countries.
ii. Clarify that alien minors who are not UACs (accompanied by a parent or legal guardian or have a parent or legal guardian in the United States available to provide care and physical custody) are not entitled to the presumptions or protections granted to UACs.
iii. Terminate the Flores Settlement Agreement (FSA) by passing legislation stipulating care standards for minors in custody and clarify corresponding provisions of the TVPRA that supersede the FSA.
iv. Amend the definition of “special immigrant,” as it pertains to juveniles, to require that the applicant prove that reunification with both parents are not viable due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment and that the applicant is a victim of trafficking. The current legal definition is abused, and provides another avenue for illicit entry.
v. Repeal the requirement that an asylum officer have initial jurisdiction over UAC asylum applications to expedite processing.
C. Asylum Reform. The massive asylum backlog has allowed illegal immigrants to enter and stay in the United States by exploiting asylum loopholes. There are more than 270,000 pending cases in the asylum backlog before USCIS, and approximately 250,000 asylum cases before EOIR. Therefore, the Administration proposes correcting the systemic deficiencies that created that backlog.
i. Significantly tighten standards and eliminate loopholes in our asylum system.
ii. Elevate the threshold standard of proof in credible fear interviews.
iii. Impose and enforce penalties for the filing of frivolous, baseless, or fraudulent asylum applications, and expand the use of expedited removal as appropriate.
iv. Close loopholes in the law to bar terrorist aliens from entering the country and receiving any immigration benefits.
v. Clarify and enhance the legal definition of “aggravated felony” to ensure that criminal aliens do not receive certain immigration benefits.
vi. Expand the ability to return asylum seekers to safe third countries.
vii. Ensure only appropriate use of parole authority for aliens with credible fear or asylum claims, to deter meritless claims and ensure the swift removal of those whose claims are denied.
viii. Prevent aliens who have been granted asylum or who entered as refugees from obtaining lawful permanent resident status if they are convicted of an aggravated felony.
ix. Require review of the asylee or refugee status of an alien who returns to their home country absent a material change in circumstances or country conditions.
D. Ensure Swift Border Returns. Immigration judges and supporting personnel face an enormous case backlog, which cripples our ability to remove illegal immigrants in a timely manner. The Administration therefore proposes providing additional resources to reduce the immigration court backlog and ensure swift return of illegal border crossers.
i. Seek appropriations to hire an additional 370 immigration judges.
ii. Establish performance metrics for immigration judges.
iii. Seek appropriations to hire an additional 1,000 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attorneys, with sufficient support personnel.
iv. Ensure sufficient resources for detention.
E. Inadmissible Aliens. The current statutory grounds for inadmissibility are too narrow, and allow for the admission of individuals who threaten our public safety. Therefore, the Administration proposes expanding the criteria that render aliens inadmissible and ensure that such aliens are maintained in continuous custody until removal.
i. Expand the grounds of inadmissibility to include gang membership.
ii. Expand the grounds of inadmissibility to include those who have been convicted of an aggravated felony; identity theft; fraud related to Social Security benefits; domestic violence; child abuse; drunk driving offenses; failure to register as a sex offender; or certain firearm offenses, including the unlawful purchase, sale, possession, or carrying of a firearm.
iii. Expand the grounds of inadmissibility to include former spouses and children of individuals engaged in drug trafficking and trafficking in persons, if the official determines the divorce was a sham or the family members continue to receive benefits from the illicit activity.
F. Discourage Illegal Re-entry. Many Americans are victims of crime committed by individuals who have repeatedly entered the United States illegally, which also undermines the integrity of the entire immigration system. Therefore, the Administration proposes increasing penalties for repeat illegal border crossers and those with prior deportations.
G. Facilitate the Removal of Illegal Aliens from Partner Nations. Current barriers prevent the Federal Government from providing assistance to partner nations for the purpose of removing aliens from third countries whose ultimate intent is entering the United States. Therefore, the Administration proposes authorizing DHS to provide foreign assistance to partner nations to support migration management efforts conducted by those nations. This will allow DHS to improve the ability of Central and South American countries to curb northbound migration flows and to interrupt ongoing human smuggling, which will also substantially reduce pressures on U.S. taxpayers.
H. Expedited Removal. Limited categories of aliens are currently subject to expedited removal, which erodes border integrity and control by impeding the ability of the Federal Government to efficiently and quickly remove inadmissible and deportable aliens from the United States. The Administration seeks to expand the grounds of removability and the categories of aliens subject to expedited removal and by ensuring that only aliens with meritorious valid claims of persecution can circumvent expedited removal.
2. Interior Enforcement
A. Sanctuary Cities. Hundreds of sanctuary jurisdictions release dangerous criminals and empower violent cartels like MS-13 by refusing to turn over incarcerated criminal aliens to Federal authorities. Therefore, the Administration proposes blocking sanctuary cities from receiving certain grants or cooperative agreements administered or awarded by the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security
i. Restrict such grants from being issued to:
a. Any state or local jurisdiction that fails to cooperate with any United States government entity regarding enforcement of federal immigration laws;
b. Any entity that provides services or benefits to aliens not entitled to receive them under existing Federal law; and
c. Any state or local jurisdiction that provides more favorable plea agreements or sentencing for alien criminal defendants for the purpose of immigration consequences of convictions.
ii. Clarify ICE’s detainer authority, and States’ and localities’ ability to honor that authority, so that States will continue to detain an individual pursuant to civil immigration law for up to 48 hours so that ICE may assume custody.
iii. Provide indemnification for State and local governments to protect them from civil liability based solely on compliance with immigration detainers and transportation of alien detainees.
iv. Require State and local jurisdictions to provide all information requested by ICE relating to aliens in their custody and the circumstances surrounding their detention.
v. Clarify the definition of a criminal conviction for immigration purposes, to prevent jurisdictions from vacating or modifying criminal convictions to protect illegal immigrants, and roll back erosion of the criminal grounds of removal by courts under the “categorical approach.”
B. Immigration Authority for States and Localities. The prior Administration suppressed cooperative partnerships between the Federal Government and State or local governments that wanted to help with immigration enforcement, undermining the security of our communities. Therefore, the Administration proposes enhancing State and local cooperation with Federal immigration law enforcement in order to ensure national security and public safety.
i. Clarify the authority of State and local governments to investigate, arrest, detain, or transfer to Federal custody aliens for purposes of enforcing Federal immigration laws when done in cooperation with DHS.
ii. Authorize State and local governments to pass legislation that will support Federal law enforcement efforts.
iii. Incentivize State and local governments to enter into agreements with the Federal Government regarding immigration enforcement efforts.
iv. Provide the same extent of immunity to State and local law enforcement agencies performing immigration enforcement duties within the scope of their official role as is provided to Federal law enforcement agencies.
C. Visa Overstays. Visa overstays account for roughly 40 percent of illegal immigration. The Administration therefore proposes strengthening the removal processes for those who overstay or otherwise violate the terms of their visas, and implementing measures to prevent future visa overstays which may account for a growing percentage of illegal immigration.
i. Discourage visa overstays by classifying such conduct as a misdemeanor.
ii. Require that all nonimmigrant visas held by an alien be cancelled when any one nonimmigrant visa held by that alien is cancelled, to ensure that if an alien abuses one type of visa, he cannot circumvent the immigration system by then relying on another type of visa to enter the United States.
iii. Bar all visa overstays from immigration benefits for a certain period of time with no waiver.
iv. Clarify that the government does not bear any expense for legal counsel for any visa overstay in removal or related proceedings.
v. Require DHS to provide all available data relating to any deportable alien to the Department of Justice’s National Crime Information Center for purposes of that alien’s inclusion in the Immigration Violators File, with the exception of aliens who cooperate with DHS on criminal investigations.
vi. Enhance the vetting of bond sponsors for those aliens who enter without inspection, to ensure that bond sponsors undergo thorough background checks prior to being eligible to post or receive a bond.
vii. Permit the Department of State to release certain visa records to foreign governments on a case-by-case basis when sharing is in the U.S. national interest.
viii. Permit the Department of State to review the criminal background of foreign diplomats or government officials contained in the National Crime Information Center database before visa adjudication, regardless of whether the applicant’s fingerprints are in the database.
D. Necessary Resources. The relatively small number of ICE officers is grossly inadequate to serve a nation of 320 million people with tens of millions of tourists and visitors crossing U.S. ports of entry every year. Therefore, the Administration proposes providing more resources that are vitally needed to enforce visa laws, restore immigration enforcement, and dismantle criminal gangs, networks and cartels.
i. Seek appropriations to hire an additional 10,000 ICE officers.
ii. Seek appropriations to hire an additional 300 Federal prosecutors to support Federal immigration prosecution efforts.
iii. Reforms to help expedite the responsible addition of new ICE personnel.
E. Detention Authority. Various laws and judicial rulings have eroded ICE’s ability to detain illegal immigrants (including criminal aliens), such that criminal aliens are released from ICE custody into our communities. Therefore, the Administration proposes terminating outdated catch-and-release laws that make it difficult to remove illegal immigrants.
i. Ensure public safety and national security by providing a legislative fix for the Zadvydasloophole, and authorizing ICE, consistent with the Constitution, to retain custody of illegal aliens whose home countries will not accept their repatriation.
ii. Require the detention of an alien: (1) who was not inspected and admitted into the United States, who holds a revoked nonimmigrant visa (or other nonimmigrant admission document), or who is deportable for failing to maintain nonimmigrant status; and (2) who has been charged in the United States with a crime that resulted in the death or serious bodily injury of another person.
F. Legal Workforce. Immigrants who come here illegally and enter the workforce undermine job opportunities and reduce wages for American workers, as does the abuse of visa programs. Therefore, the Administration increasing employment verification and other protections for U.S. workers.
i. Require the use of the electronic status-verification system (“E-Verify”) to ensure the maintenance of a legal workforce in the United States.
ii. Preempt any State or local law relating to employment of unauthorized aliens.
iii. Impose strong penalties, including debarment of Federal contractors, for failure to comply with E-Verify.
iv. Increase penalties for any person or entity engaging in a pattern or practice of violations.
v. Require the Social Security Administration to disclose information to DHS to be used in the enforcement of immigration laws.
vi. Expand the definition of unlawful employment discrimination to include replacement of U.S. citizen workers by nonimmigrant workers or the preferential hiring of such foreign workers over U.S. citizen workers.
vii. Strengthen laws prohibiting document fraud related to employment or to any other immigration benefit.
G. Deportable Aliens. The categories of aliens that currently qualify for deportation are insufficiently broad to remove aliens who pose a threat to the security of the American public. Therefore, the Administration proposes expanding and clarifying the type of aliens who present a danger to Americans and should therefore be removable on an expedited basis.
i. Expand grounds of deportability to explicitly include gang members.
ii. Expand the grounds of deportability to include those convicted of multiple drunk driving offenses or a single offense involving death or serious injury.
iii. Expand the grounds of deportability to include those who fail to register as a sex offender.
iv. Clarify the technical definition of “aggravated felony” by referring to “an offense relating to” each of the categories of crimes, rather than specifying the crimes themselves. This will ensure certain kinds of homicide, sex offenses, and trafficking offenses are encompassed within the statutory definition.
H. Gang Members. Today, known gang members are still able to win immigration benefits despite the dangers they pose to American society. As such, the Administration proposes implementing measures that would deny gang members and those associated with criminal gangs from receiving immigration benefits.
I. Visa Security Improvements. Without sufficient resources, the State Department is hindered from adequately vetting visa applicants. As such, the Administration proposes enhancing State Department visa and traveler security resources and authorities.
i. Expand the Department of State’s authority to use fraud prevention and detection fees for programs and activities to combat all classes of visa fraud within the United States and abroad.
ii. Ensure funding for the Visa Security Program and facilitate its expansion to all high-risk posts.
iii. Increase the border crossing card fee.
iv. Grant the Department of State authority to apply the Passport Security Surcharge to the costs of protecting U.S. citizens and their interests overseas, and to include those costs when adjusting the surcharge.
v. Strengthen laws prohibiting civil and criminal immigration fraud and encourage the use of advanced analytics to proactively detect fraud in immigration benefit applications.
3. Merit-Based Immigration System
A. Merit-Based Immigration. The current immigration system prioritizes extended family-based chain migration over skills-based immigration and does not serve the national interest. Decades of low-skilled immigration has suppressed wages, fueled unemployment and strained federal resources. Therefore, the Administration proposes establishing a merit-based immigration system that protects U.S. workers and taxpayers, and ending chain migration, to promote financial success and assimilation for newcomers.
i. End extended-family chain migration by limiting family-based green cards to spouses and minor children and replace it with a merit-based system that prioritizes skills and economic contributions over family connections.
ii. Establish a new, points-based system for the awarding of Green Cards (lawful permanent residents) based on factors that allow individuals to successfully assimilate and support themselves financially.
iii. Eliminate the “Diversity Visa Lottery.”
iv. Limit the number of refugees to prevent abuse of the generous U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and allow for effective assimilation of admitted refugees into the fabric of our society.
Four million Americans turn 18 each year and begin looking for good jobs in the free market.
But the federal government inflates the supply of new labor by annually accepting more than 1 million new legal immigrants, by providing work-permits to roughly 3 million resident foreigners, and by doing little to block the employment of roughly 8 million illegal immigrants.
This Washington-imposed economic policy of mass-immigration floods the market with foreign labor, spikes profits and Wall Street values by cutting salaries for manual and skilled labor offered by blue-collar and white-collar employees. It also drives up real estate prices, widens wealth-gaps, reduces high-tech investment, increases state and local tax burdens, hurts kids’ schools and college education, pushes Americans away from high-tech careers, and sidelines at least 5 million marginalized Americans and their families, including many who are now struggling with opioid addictions.
The cheap-labor policy has also reduced investment and job creation in many interior states because the coastal cities have a surplus of imported labor. For example, almost 27 percent of zip codes in Missouri had fewer jobs or businesses in 2015 than in 2000, according to a new report by the Economic Innovation Group. In Kansas, almost 29 percent of zip codes had fewer jobs and businesses in 2015 compared to 2000, which was a two-decade period of massive cheap-labor immigration.
Because of the successful cheap-labor strategy, wages for men have remained flat since 1973, and a large percentage of the nation’s annual income has shifted to investors and away from employees.