Trump policy stirs debate: How 'self-sufficient' must immigrants be?
Donald Trump’s recasting of United States immigration policy isn’t just about letting fewer newcomers into the country. It’s also about redefining who is worthy to enter.
His administration’s stated criterion: those who are self-sufficient.
To the president’s supporters, it’s common sense. Favoring the skilled can boost the U.S. economy. And favoring the industrious will reduce a rising taxpayer tab for federal safety net programs. Nations like Australia and Canada have already gone down this path toward a “merit-based” system for immigrant visas, they say.
“The president has made no secret of the fact that he believes the American immigration system, first and foremost, is set up to work for America. That means economically and for the people [already] here,” Ken Cuccinelli, the acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, told reporters Wednesday at a Monitor Breakfast.
It’s an objective that resonates with voters like
The ‘economic value’ of immigrantsWhat does the economy need?Maryland shows the variety viewsThe question of self-sufficiency
