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President Donald Trump on Wednesday night held a campaign-style rally in Iowa, where he congratulated the Republican winners of Tuesday's special elections in South Carolina and Georgia. Also, he sent his well wishes to Rep. Steve Scalise, who was injured in last week's shooting in Alexandria, Virginia.

In a noteworthy policy-related portion of his comments, Trump announced his intention to pursue legislation that would bar immigrants from being eligible for welfare for at least five years after arriving in the U.S.

It's unclear how Trump's desired legislation would differ from the status quo.

Trump said "the time has come" for "new immigration rules" that would require those seeking admission to the country to be able to support themselves financially. He said he will be "putting in legislation to that effect very shortly."

And he brought up his plans for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"We are thinking about building a wall as a solar wall," he said. "So it creates energy. And pays for itself. And this way, Mexico will have to pay much less money. And that's good, right? Is that good? You are the first group I've told that to. It makes sense. Let's see. We are working it out. Solar wall panels. Think of it, the higher it goes, the more valuable it is. Pretty good imagination, right? My idea. We have a good shot. That's one of the places where solar really does work. At the tremendous sun and heat. We will see what happens."

The president also commented on Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross' presence at the rally, noting that he wants rich people, not "poor" people, in positions of power on economic issues in his administration. In January, Forbes reported that Ross, an asset investor, is worth $2.5 billion.

"These are people that are great, brilliant business minds," Trump said. "That's what we need. That's what we have to have, so the world doesn't take advantage ... We can't have the world taking advantage of us anymore. And I love all people - rich or poor - but in those particular positions, I just don't want a poor person. Does that make sense? ... If you insist, I'll do it, but I like it better this way."

He kicked off the rally, at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, saying, "It is great to be back in the incredible, beautiful state of Iowa. It's always terrific to be able to leave that Washington swamp and spend time with the truly hard working people we call American patriots, truly amazing people."

Trump added that Handel will target "tax cuts, reducing crime, securing that Second Amendment, and that looks like it's in great shape with Judge [Neil] Gorsuch," Trump's appointee to the Supreme Court.

According to the Georgia secretary of state, Handel beat Democrat Jon Ossoff, 52.13 percent to 47.87 percent. In South Carolina's 5th Congressional District, Norman got 51 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Archie Parnell, who had roughly 48 percent.

At the rally, Trump said of Scalise, "I would like to take this moment to send out thoughts to our courageous friend Steve Scalise and everyone recovering from the assault."

He continued, "So to Steve, we say ... we're praying for you, we're pulling for you. You have our full support ... and our gratitude tonight goes out as well to the Capitol Police.

Trump called for unity, and he reminded supporters to be wary of the mainstream media, which his administration "will never be intimidated by," in its efforts to "make America great again."

After a number of criticisms of the press, he reminded the crowd of his administration's many accomplishments, saying of prior administrations, "Very few have done what we've done."

He noted the 38 bills that have been enacted since he took office, later changing the number to 39, and said that while "some of them are really big," the most significant ones, such as on health care reform and the "largest tax cut in the history of the United States of America," are yet to come.

The successes Trump highlighted at the rally included toughening law enforcement, stepping out of the Paris Climate Agreement, appointing Gorsuch and working alongside China.

In closing, he again criticized the media and emphasized how significant his accomplishments have been, given the "phony witch hunts" conducted against him.

He repeated his call for increased bipartisanship in Congress, saying, "It would be great if the Republicans and the Democrats could come together," adding that Democrats "need to be positive" and "can't continue to be obstructionist."

Trump touted his accomplishments in Saudi Arabia, then thanked the citizens of Iowa for their continued support and exited the arena.

Before the rally, Trump visited Kirkwood Community College to get briefed on agricultural technology being developed there. Among the machines he saw was a combine simulator, a virtual way to practice using a combine. Afterward, he told reporters that he "just learned more about farming than I ever thought I'd learn."

ABC News' Jordyn Phelps contributed to this report.

Continued here:
Trump talks immigration reform, border wall at Iowa rally - WLS-TV

On the campaign trail, Republicans, led by President Donald Trump, ran on a platform of tougher immigration laws. Next week the U.S. House of Representatives will take up two measures that will address aspects of immigration reform, according to Politico.

One of the pieces of legislation is Kate's Law, which increase penalties for individuals who attempt to reenter the United States after having been deported.

Kate Steinle was killed last year in San Francisco by a person who been deported multiple times and continually returned to the U.S. As Politico notes, Trump mentioned Steinle's death often while campaigning.

The other piece of legislation to be considered addresses sanctuary cities. This legislation would lead to stricter penalties for localities that do not work with federal officials on enforcing national immigration laws.

Politico reports that the law, written by Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), would require municipalities to comply with federal officers to keep immigrants imprisoned in order to be held until they can be picked up for deportation.

Read the original here:
House to address immigration reform next week - Independent Journal Review

The State

Immigration activist praises South Carolina during forum The State Ali Noorani, the executive director of the Washington-based National Immigration Forum, discussed coalition-building to address immigration reform at a roundtable discussion Thursday at Greenville Technical College. The luncheon brought together ...

Excerpt from:
Immigration activist praises South Carolina during forum - The State

June 20, 2017

Informed discussion and smart immigration policies are needed as policymakers and leaders in senior living and long-term care increasingly see lawful and undocumented immigrants as a solution to workforce needs, according to a new research brief by PHI Vice President of Policy Robert Espinoza.

Approximately 860,000 immigrants are employed as direct-care workers in home- and community-based settings, assisted living facilities, group homes, intermediate care facilities, nursing care facilities and hospitals, according to the brief. Added to the number of nursing assistants, personal care aides and home health aides hired directly by families, the total becomes 1 million, meaning that immigrants make up about 25% of the direct care workforce, Espinoza said, and in California, Florida, Hawaii, New Jersey and New York, more than 40% of direct care workers are immigrants.

Most immigrants who are direct care workers are women, and their median annual income is $19,000, according to the brief. Additionally, this segment of the workforce experiences high poverty rates and relies largely on public benefits to survive, Espinoza wrote.

The study is part of PHI's #60CaregiverIssues educational campaign focused on the growing workforce shortage in direct care.Espinoza said the research on immigrants is meant to be a starting point for understanding this sector and that future research will present ideas for potential policy reforms.

Congressmen weigh in

At least two congressmen appear to be among those open to immigration reform to assist senior living and long-term care providers.

Rep. John K. Delaney (D-MD) and Rep. James B. Renacci (R-OH) discussed the topic at the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care fall meeting in 2015.

If you go through the various cases for comprehensive immigration reform in this country, which I think is very compelling, certainly this industry and the healthcare industry in general is an industry that would benefit enormously from it, Delaney said at the time, answering a question from NIC CEO Robert Kramer.

In general, Delaney said, immigrants are good for the healthcare system because they are paying more into the Medicare program than they are taking out, whereas nonimmigrants are taking more out of Medicare than they are putting in. Immigrants could aid Social Security in a similar way, he said. I think this industry should be big supporters, proponents and cheerleaders for immigration reform, because it makes good financial sense for the system, Delaney said.

Renacci said that immigrants could play an important role in replacing retiring citizens in the workforce and also in caring for those retired workers. How are we going to take care of the aging population going forward, when we know that we don't have growth in that younger workforce? he said. Some of it's going to have to be through immigration.

The rest is here:
Immigration reform would benefit senior living: research brief - McKnight's Senior Living

Twenty-one days after Election Day last November, Dan Stein, the president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a group that supports reduced immigration, introduced a transition document to provide the newly elected president with guidance on immigration policy.

It was their moment. FAIR had condemned the Obama administrations immigration policy, and pushed for heightened border security and the removal of undocumented immigrants. And Trump, whose campaign had begun with a promise to crack down on illegal immigration, appeared to be the champion they needed.

Within the first few weeks of his administration, Trump expanded the number of undocumented immigrants considered a priority for deportation, threatened jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration agents, and called for more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Customs and Border Protection agents. But he also fell short on other promisesincluding a central plank of his presidential campaign, a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. In the interim, the high expectations of immigration restriction groups like FAIR have turned to frustration and disappointment.

Trump Breaks a Promise to his Voters on Immigration

We can only assume that President Trump has struck a secret deal with Mexico to get them to pay for the border fence he promised, because funding for the project sure isnt in the budget proposal he sent to Congress, Stein said in a statement following the release of Trumps budget proposal in May. The proposal included $2.6 billion for border security, a fraction of which was marked for the construction of a wall. That figure paled in comparison to estimates by the Department of Homeland Security, which found in a report that a wall along the southern border would cost as much as $21.6 billion. It also went back on a campaign pledge that Trump would make Mexico pay for the barrier. But the sarcastic tone of Steins statement was notable.

The key to regaining control of our immigration system is to effectively deter people who are contemplating breaking our laws and effective enforcement against those who do. Unfortunately, President Trumps budget requests do not demonstrate the resolve that is needed to fulfill the promises that he made to the American people, Stein added in his statement.

Trumps victory was seen as an opportunity to pass policies targeting immigration in the United States, which have often faced hurdles in Congress. His team includes many immigration hardliners, like Jeff Sessions, Stephen Miller, and Steve Bannon, which also seemed promising for those seeking stricter policies. Yet immigration restrictionist groups are growing increasingly frustrated with what they see as the glacial pace at which the administration is executing on its immigration pledges, as well as its reversals on key promises.

Shortly after Trump took office, immigration hawks urged the president to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the Obama-era program shielding undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children from deportation and allowing them to legally work in the country.* Trump had repeatedly said hed terminate the program on the campaign trail, and then began to take a softer approach as president. To me, it's one of the most difficult subjects I have because you have these incredible kids, in many cases, not in all cases, Trump said at a White House news conference. Trump left the matter unaddressed in his January executive actions on immigration, prompting complaints from immigration hardliners, who argue the program hurts native-born workers.

In May, the Americans for Legal Immigration PAC dropped its endorsement of Trump for not taking action on DACA. While we may be one of the first groups representing Trumps base on immigration issues to leave the fold, we wont be the last, William Gheen, the president of the group, wrote in an open letter. ALIPACs announcement about Trump will be considered as a warning sign among many American patriots that we have been lied to, misled, and betrayed, and our warning will have far reaching implications for the Trump administration and his band of pro-Amnesty advisors and cabinet members. The PAC did not give money to federal candidates during the 2016 election.

The Trump administrations decision on DACA finally came in June, roughly five months into the presidents term. The Department of Homeland Security announced earlier this month that it was rescinding the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents program, which sought to shield the undocumented parents of U.S. citizens and others from deportation. The Obama-era program had never been implemented due to litigation, so the move to revoke it was largely symbolic. DHS also issued guidance noting that DACA would remain in effect for now, days after U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services released figures revealing that the administration was still granting work permits under the DACA program.

I certainly am very happy that Secretary Kelly ended DAPA that is a good thing and needed to happenbut it does not fulfill Trumps campaign promise. DACA needs to be ended, Rosemary Jenks, the director of government relations at NumbersUSA, another group that supports reduced immigration, told The Los Angeles Times. It is clear the decision on DACA has been made at the White House, she added. That is truly on Trump, and he needs to do it.

I knew he was going to sell us out on some things. I just didnt think DACA was going to be what he sells us out on, Mark Krikorian, the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors reduced immigration, told me. DACA had been seen as a bargaining chip that could be used to negotiate with Democratic lawmakers on immigration reform, Krikorian said. By failing to repeal it therefore, Trump missed out on an opportunity that may have ramifications down the road.

Ann Coulter, a prominent anti-immigrant conservative commentator, railed against the decision on Twitter. This Daily Trump melodrama is worth it ONLY if hes really going to build the wall, cut off Muslim refugees and deport illegals, she said, adding, in a follow-up tweet, that zero miles of Trumps wall had been completed to date.

Immigrant advocates, meanwhile, are still anxious about the future of DACA. I would hesitate to say that weve gotten a promise from the administration and I am a firm believer that, due to the unpredictable nature of President Trump, DACA is still very much in danger, said Jose Magaa-Salgado, the managing policy attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. The administrations aggressive approach to deportations has continued to concern immigration advocates, who have thus far found little relief in its decision to keep DACA in place.

But the flurry of responses nevertheless highlighted growing frustrations among immigration hardliners, who feel let down by the administration. Trump, after all, took the campaign trail by storm with the phrase build the wall, and used forceful rhetoric in speaking about immigration. His messaging in the White House, however, has been ambiguous. He hasnt provided a clear plan on what a wall along the southern border will look like, or how he plans to address legal immigration, which hawks want reduced.

Factions within the White House may be to blame for the mixed messages on immigration. Earlier this year, The New York Times reported on rifts within the administration over how to address so-called Dreamers. There had also been a draft executive order floating around aimed at ending DACA. While it didnt come to fruition, it seemed to indicate a fractured White House, Krikorian said. But the administration has also come up short on other promises.

In addition to DACA, he made some strong promises on H1-Bs, which he has yet to [do]. He is talking about them, but he hasnt taken any concrete action on them, said Chris Chmielenski, the director of content and activism at NumbersUSA. H1-B visas allow employers to temporarily hire skilled foreign workers to fill specialty occupations. Trump pledged to overhaul the system, but has thus far done little to act on it, according to Chmielenski.

Still, Trump has followed through on some of his campaign promises, like increasing the number of removals of undocumented immigrants. Within his first 100 days, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Securitys enforcement arm, reported an increase in arrests: they jumped by nearly 40 percent between January and April, according to the agencys latest figures. The administration also launched the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office to assist victims of crimes committed by criminal aliens.

Immigration hardliners also understand that they may not get what they want right away. Despite Trumps forceful rhetoric on immigration on the campaign trail, Chmielenski said, we didnt think it was a done deal. Matt OBrien, the director of research at FAIR, noted that the president needs congressional authorization to execute on some of his promises, like the border wall. While its difficult to predict, we thinkand for a long time have saidits an essential measure, so we hope the president will keep his promise. However, I think thats something thats not entirely in his hands, he said. The administration is also still only a few months old, so its possible that Trumps campaign promises will bear out in the future. But that wont keep hardliners at bay, either.

I think there are some people who are still in the White House and advising the president that Trump trusts that are going to continue to keep this in front of him, Chmielenski said. On the other hand, on our end, we have 8 million activists that will continue to pressure the White House.

* This article originally stated that DACA shielded undocumented immigrants born in the United States from deportation. We regret the error.

Read more from the original source:
Trump's Immigration Allies Are Growing Frustrated With Him - The Atlantic