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President Donald Trump is supporting immigration reform that would cut legal immigration into the US in half. The president says it's a plan that will protect American workers. Opponents say slashing immigration would hurt industries like agriculture and

Lauren Bale, WWLTV 10:22 PM. CDT August 03, 2017

NEW ORLEANS -- President Donald Trump is supporting immigration reform that would cut legal immigration into the US in half.

The president says it's a plan that will protect American workers. Opponents say slashing immigration would hurt industries like agriculture and harm the economy. Local workers and small business owners in Louisiana weighed in on the issue.

Casa Borrega on Oretha Castle Haley is Hugo Montero's American dream.

"Wake up early, go to work, work the whole day to create a better future," Montero said.

Montero came to the United States from Mexico 30-years ago. He opened Casa Borrega after years of hard work. He thinks everyone should be given that same chance.

"The essence, the spirit, the soul of the United States is a land of immigrants. It's a great land created by immigrants," Montero said.

MORE:Trump joins GOP senators on immigration changes

The bill carrying the President's support would cut legal immigration to the US in half and give preference to immigrants who speak English, have financial stability and "useful skills." Fishermen in Westwego say that would leave many in the seafood industry without extra help.

"It will knock out a good bit of people, if some of those people had to go," Fisherman Camille Bourgeois said.

Bourgeois fishes for Jonathan's Seafood. He say anyone should be allowed into the US legally.

"I'm all for the American dream, I really am," Bourgeois said. "100 percent no matter where you come from or who you are."

However, he still thinks US citizens should be given preference over newer immigrants.

"Give a citizen a chance to pay his bills and feed his family first," Bourgeois said.

Back at Casa Borrega, Montero argues that the proposed bill goes against the principals the US was founded on.

"To deny the entry to people who want to work hard, who want to do better in life, I think it's just cruel," Montero said.

As the immigration debate plays out, Montero is feeling lucky he was given the chance to come to the US and start a new life.

"Every day I'm grateful," Montero said.

The proposal will have to go through the legislative process on Capitol Hill, where the bill is largely opposed by both republicans and democrats.

2017 WWL-TV

Link:
President-backed immigration reforms could spell trouble for local businesses - WWL

The Trump administration touted a more limited, merit-based immigration system yesterday, but faced backlash from a CNN reporter who began reading the poem from the Statue of Liberty during the White House press briefing and later denounced parts of the plan as a dog whistle.

President Trump joined Republican U.S. Sens. David Perdue of Georgia and Tom Cotton of Arkansas to push what he called the most significant reform to our immigration system in half a century.

The proposal would favor those who can speak English and financially support themselves and offer skills that would contribute to the economy.

This legislation demonstrates our compassion for struggling American families who deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first and puts America first, Trump said.

At the White House press briefing, senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller claimed roughly half of immigrant-headed households receive some type of welfare. He added that the proposed changes would also stop unfettered chain migration, whereby a green cardholder can bring in an elderly relative who can immediately go on public assistance and can in turn also bring in a relative themselves.

Miller also claimed a merit-based system would protect U.S. workers and fulfill a campaign pledge Trump made on the trail.

But CNNs White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, who has been dismissed before by Trump as fake news, appeared to blur the line between objective journalist and full-on activist by blasting the policy in an uncomfortable exchange with Miller.

What the president is proposing here does not sound like its in keeping with American tradition when it comes to immigration, Acosta told Miller.

The Statue of Liberty says, Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, Acosta said. It doesnt say anything about speaking English or being able to be a computer programmer.

He was referring to the The New Colossus, written by poet Emma Lazarus, which, while frequently quoted to illustrate Americas openness, does not actually govern U.S. immigration policy.

Theyre not always going to speak English, Stephen, Acosta went on. Theyre not always going to be highly skilled. Theyre not always going to be somebody who can go to work at Silicon Valley right away.

Jim, I appreciate your speech, Miller responded.

In what resembled a self-manufactured controversy, CNN repeatedly replayed the exchange between Miller and its own Acosta with a banner below the screen blaring, New plan to slash legal immigration sparks fierce debate. The cable channel then brought in a panel of experts to react to the back-and-forth.

The drama seemed to bolster critics who have argued that televising the White House press briefings has only led to more grandstanding reporters hoping to make themselves the news and build their own star power.

The Acosta-Miller exchange sent the rest of the media into a tizzy.

Trump aide#Stephen Miller lecturing Cuban-American Jim Acosta of CNN on green card policy which his family lived 1st hand#Rude, tweeted Andrea Mitchell of NBC News.

MILLER TRASHES ICONIC STATUE OF LIBERTY POEM, screamed the lead headline of the Huffington Post.

Meanwhile, Trump also signed a Russian sanctions bill yesterday, even as he claimed it is seriously flawed. The bill had overwhelmingly been passed by Congress, which would have easily been able to override a Trump veto.

Herald wire services contributed to the report.

Read this article:
Prez adviser, CNN reporter spar over immigration reform - Boston Herald

Aug 2nd, 2017 1 min read

Today, the White House, along with Sens. Tom Cotton and DavidPerdue, unveiled the RAISE Act, a measure focused on reforming the legal immigration system in the United States. Dr. James Carafano, a vice president at The Heritage Foundation who has worked on border and immigration policies for many years, released the following statement in response to the unveiling of the legislation:

Legal immigration reform has been off Washingtons to-do list far too long. Heritage has long argued for legal immigration policies designed to serve America in the 21st century, not those tailored to past decades. We have long favored ending blanket chain-migration, and replacing it with a rational, skills based-migration system. We have looked at the lessons from the Canadian and Australian models for reform to see what might best serve the United States immigration system. The RAISE Act seeks to reduce low skill immigration which is very costly to U.S. taxpayers, while promoting a modernized, skills-based migration system that makes sense for all Americans. We look forward to Congress taking this issue seriously, rolling up its sleeves and delivering legislation that establishes a legal immigration system designed for the demands of the 21st century.

See the rest here:
Heritage Statement on Legal Immigration Reform - Heritage.org

Christina Gregg, AOL.com

Aug 2nd 2017 11:54AM

Update: This event has ended.

Republican Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue are set to join President Trump on Wednesday in introducing a bill meant to overhaul the U.S. immigration system.

The Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act -- or RAISE Act -- is described by the White House as "aimed at creating a skills-based immigration system that will make America more competitive, raise wages for American workers, and create jobs. Americans deserve a raise."

RELATED: Faces of Trump's immigration crackdown

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Mexican national Adalberto Magana-Gonzalez, 44, waits to be processed after being taken into custody by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Fugitive Operations team in Santa Ana, California, U.S., May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson SEARCH "NICHOLSON ARREST" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY.

Mexican national Adalberto Magana-Gonzalez, 44, has his fingerprints taken after being taken into custody by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Fugitive Operations team in Santa Ana, California, U.S., May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson SEARCH "NICHOLSON ARREST" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

The badge of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Fugitive Operations team is seen in Santa Ana, California, U.S., May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson SEARCH "NICHOLSON ARREST" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Field Office Director Jorge Field (R), 53, arrests Mexican national Adalberto Magana-Gonzalez, 44, in San Clemente, California, U.S., May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson SEARCH "NICHOLSON ARREST" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Mexican national Adalberto Magana-Gonzalez, 44, waits to be processed after being taken into custody by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Fugitive Operations team in Santa Ana, California, U.S., May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson SEARCH "NICHOLSON ARREST" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Field Office Director Jorge Field (R), 53, arrests Mexican national Adalberto Magana-Gonzalez, 44, in San Clemente, California, U.S., May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson SEARCH "NICHOLSON ARREST" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Fugitive Operations team takes immigration fugitives into custody in Santa Ana, California, U.S., May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson SEARCH "NICHOLSON ARREST" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Handcuffs lie in a box at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Fugitive Operations office in Santa Ana, California, U.S., May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson SEARCH "NICHOLSON ARREST" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Field Office Director Jorge Field (L), 53, arrests an Iranian immigrant in San Clemente, California, U.S., May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson SEARCH "NICHOLSON ARREST" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Field Office Director Jorge Field (R), 53, and Field Office Director David Marin arrest an Iranian immigrant in San Clemente, California, U.S., May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson SEARCH "NICHOLSON ARREST" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Field Office Director Jorge Field, 53, arrests an Iranian immigrant in San Clemente, California, U.S., May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson SEARCH "NICHOLSON ARREST" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Fugitive Operations team member arrests an Iranian immigrant in Santa Ana, California, U.S., May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson SEARCH "NICHOLSON ARREST" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Fugitive Operations team search for an immigration fugitive in Santa Ana, California, U.S., May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson SEARCH "NICHOLSON ARREST" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

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By Steve Levy

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These proposals (primarily the first one) would reduce annual immigration levels from roughly 1,000,000 to just over 500,000

The President alleges these proposals will help American workers and particularly those injured by legal low wage immigrants.

These proposals will hurt, not improve American economic prospects and are ineffective approaches to helping American workers more fully participate in the job market.

I believe, as do most economists and business owners, that the nation needs more, not fewer, legal immigrants.

I am sympathetic to designing a system that is more based on labor market needs and am open to reexamining the family based admissions. That is a position widely shared by economist who study labor markets as I do. But these are separable issues from reducing overall legal immigration levels.

If the President were serious about moving to a more labor demand based legal immigration system, he would have proposed a substantial increase in labor based admissions rather than keeping the current 140,000 annual target.

If the President were serious about making a more labor demand based legal immigration system, he would have recognized that employers are seeking workers at ALL skill levels, not just college graduates.

A high skill approach is NOT the same as a labor market demand approach because the shortages we have that will grow are in many occupations that are not high wage or require a college degree.

We are already into a period of tightening labor markets with low unemployment levels and the beginning of a surge in baby boomer retirements. In addition to providing for job growth, the nation will need to replace retiring public safety workers , plumbers and truck drivers, pilots, nurses, teachers and millions of other occupations.

At the same time birth rates have plummeted and we have the challenge of preparing high school and college graduates for tomorrows workforce.

Lindsay Graham today in response to the Presidents proposal noted that many low wage employers in his state were supportive of legal immigration policies to help fill their existing openings. Readers can judge for themselves as businesses owners and leaders weigh in on the Presidents proposal.

While the country has divided opinions about unauthorized immigrants who are already here, we have a history of bipartisan support and appreciation for legal immigrants who contribute to our economy and society.

The argument that restricting legal immigration will help American workers is particularly off base. If industries have to downsize because they cannot find enough workers, that affects opportunities for everyone at those firms. Moreover, most workers who have been hit by transitions in the job market like the loss of manufacturing jobs and declines in coal mining are unlikely to be helped by restricting legal immigrants and particularly the low wage legal immigrants the President seems to be focused on.

And they are certainly not looking for protection so they can get low wage jobs. Of course if the President were worried about the fate of low wage workers, he could support a higher minimum wage or expanded earned income tax credit.

There are ways to help workers who may need help or young people at risk. For people preparing for the next labor market, policies from free pre-school to high school programs partnering with companies to community colleges and workforce programs working hand in hand with employers could both help existing workers but, more important, contribute to breaking a cycle of poverty for some families.

Helping people get better skills is a positive approach. Let's do bipartisan reform of the legal immigration system.

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The President's Proposals for Legal Immigration Reform are Bad Economic Policy - Mountain View Voice (blog)