The Trump administration outlined immigration principles and policies Sunday that it wants Congress to prioritize.
A three-pronged proposal lists initiatives under three broad categories — border security, interior enforcement and merit-based immigration series. In addition to the requirement for a border wall, one of President Trump's main campaign promises, the policies also include "asylum reform," which dictates that the standards for asylum seekers be made more stringent.
While the proposals are broad, some of them include to "elevate the threshold standard of proof in credible fear interviews" and impose penalties for "frivolous" or "baseless" asylum applications. The latter section goes on to suggest expedited removal for asylum seekers who file such applications.
Additionally, the administration requests that funds be put aside for 370 new immigration judges and 1,000 new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attorneys.
Under the "sanctuary cities" subsection, the administration requests, among other changes, that Congress clarify the definition of criminal convictions so that jurisdictions don't vacate or modify convictions to protect undocumented immigrants.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, released a joint statement Sunday night in response to the proposals. The two had met with Trump at the White House in September and said they'd discussed preserving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals in law.
“The Administration can’t be serious about compromise or helping the Dreamers if they begin with a list that is anathema to the Dreamers, to the immigrant community and to the vast majority of Americans," the statement said. “We told the president at our meeting that we were open to reasonable border security measures alongside the DREAM Act, but this list goes so far beyond what is reasonable. This proposal fails to represent any attempt at compromise."
The statement goes on to say the border wall had been explicitly ruled out of negotiations regarding DACA.
Conversely, more conservative members of Congress appeared to respond positively to the administration's priorities. Rep. Todd Rokita, R-4th District, released a statement Monday morning in which he said immigration was a "major security issue" that he looked forward to working on with the president.
"With the leadership of President Trump and Vice President Pence, we will work together to address our country's immigration crisis and issues surrounding it like DACA, sanctuary cities, chain migration and the flow of illegal drugs," Rokita said in the statement.
Jesse Naranjo
