Trump maintains hard line on immigration

During his address to a joint session of Congress on February 28, President Donald Trump announced he was creating a new government agency that will focus on “American victims” of immigrant crimes (video below). The New York Times interpreted remarks Trump made a few hours ahead of the address to reporters as a “dramatic shift” away from a tough immigration stance and toward compromise that could include amnesty. “We are providing a voice to those who have been ignored by our media, and silenced by special interests”.

Surprised? You shouldn’t be.

And Republican elected officials who are more open to immigration reform to begin with, but fear the wrath of their conservative constituents, would have all the political cover in the world if they were simply going along with President Trump. They pay taxes, do jobs Americans won’t do, and are barred from virtually all forms of means-tested transfer payments (this is especially true of illegal immigrants); the only tax-financed stuff they get is K-12 education for their kids (who are often citizens) and emergency medical care. If Trump talks about a proposed deal tonight, it could sow some real consternation on the other side.

Those invited guests are Jamiel Shaw – a man whose son was murdered in 2008 by an undocumented migrants and a regular speaker during Trump’s campaign rallies who defended his tough anti-immigration policies – as well as Jessica Davis and Susan Oliver, the widows of Det. (The gratuitous emphasis on negotiation in the excerpt is also highly Trump-y, needless to say.) Whether it came from POTUS or a top aide, though, there’s every reason to believe the story is true. More than 6 in 10 (63 percent) of Trump voters said the US should not allow more lower-skilled immigrants into the country.

If Trump calls for immigration reform, he could face opposition not only from his core supporters but also allies inside the White House.

The meeting alternated between portions being off the record and parts attributable to senior White House officials without using their names, a practice the administration has criticized on stories they disapprove of. The time for trivial fights is behind us, ‘ he said. “And I find it very, very hard doing what the law says exactly to do and, you know, the law is rough”, Trump said. In contrast, 55 percent of Trump voters support letting more highly skilled immigrants into the U.S.

Mr Trump’s speech largely focused on domestic issues like kickstarting the economy, scratching Obamacare and boosting military spending but offered no precise details on what he wants congress to approve.