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On the campaign trail, Donald Trump's rhetoric onimmigration was anything but restrained.

Trump called some Mexican immigrants "rapists" and blamed others for taking jobs away from American workers. Still others he blamed for acts of terror. He promised to overhaul the U.S. immigration system and, in general, make it much harder to immigrate to the United States.

Now that he's president, Trump has sweeping authority to change the way the immigration system works.There are two big ways he can do that: through visas, and through deportation.

He's already begun working on both fronts.

One way Trump can make a major dent in the number of immigrants allowed into the country is by changing the process by which visas are issued. One of Trump's first acts as president was an attempt to greatly restricttravelvisas from seven Muslim-majority countries, a move that was struck down by the courts. A second version of the order also stalled in the courts. Nearly 60,000 visa holders were affected by the two orders, theLos Angeles Timesreported in February.

While those moves didn't work the way he'd planned, there are other ways Trump can restrict visas.

H-1B visas, for workers with specialized jobs, are a prime target. In early March, the administration announced changes to the H-1B program. First,computer programmerswill no longer be considered "specialized" workers eligible for H-1Bs. Second, the administration announced a six-month hiatus on "expedited processing," which allowed visa applicants to learn the status of an application 15 days after applying. Now, the process could take months.

The administration also said it will begin conducting site visits to companies that employ a large percentage of H-1B workers in order to ensure the program is not being "abused."

In a draft executive order published in Januaryby Vox, the Trump team laid out further steps it could take on immigration, including ending the Dreamer program and turning away immigrants who are poor.

The other way Trump can reduce the number of immigrants is by deporting them. And, like his predecessor, BarackObama(under whose administration more undocumented immigrants were deported than any other, earning him the nickname "Deporter-in-Chief" from critics), Trump is doing just that.

While it's still too early to say whether Trump is on track to out-deport Obama, signs indicate that he's more gung-ho about expelling the undocumented than his predecessor was.

First, Trump is ramping up the number of government employees responsible for carrying out deportations. The administration plans to increase the numberof Border Patrol agents by about a quarter and the number of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement personnel by 80%.

Trump has also said his administration won't treat any class of immigrants for example, those who came to the United Statesas children as exempt from deportation.

The Obama administration claimed it prioritized deporting undocumented immigrants who had committed crimes, but data didn't bear that out. Trump would continue that policy.

The rest is here:
Immigration Reform 2017: Two ways the Trump administration is ... - Mic

April 9, 2017 3:34 PM

Protesters march through downtown Dallas for immigration reform. (Chopper 11)

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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) Several thousand people marched through the streets of downtown Dallas Sunday for immigration reform.

Immigration Reform Mega March in Dallas. (Chopper 11)

Known as Immigration Reform Mega March, people brought signs and waved American flags in what wasa peaceful protest.

The Dallas Police Department estimated between 3,000 and 4,000 people marched through downtown. There were also no reported incidents or arrests.

The last Mega March in 2006 brought together about 500,000 people which was the largest civil rights march in Texas history.

Organizers of the march expected a crowd of about 100,000 people during final preparations last week.

The march started at theCathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe on Ross Avenue at around 2:00 p.m.

Marchers stopped at Dallas City Hall where various activists, including Martin Luther King III, spoke to the crowd.

Read more here:
Dallas Mega March For Immigration Reform Attracts Thousands - CBS DFW

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Federal immigration policies no longer fit todays America, a legal advocate said during a justice for immigration and refugee program todayin the gymnasium at Rosary Cathedral.

Eugenio Mollo, Jr., a managing attorney for the Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc., works to protect immigrant workers rights, with an agricultural focus.

While immigration laws have been updated in apatchwork system, the federal law which established first quotas was created more than 60 years ago.

Were a different country than we were in the 1950s, we look different, our families are different, our economy is different, we have different business needs. We need some sort of comprehensive immigration review, Mr. Mollo said.

The Catholic Churchs mission to help those in need also was stressed during todays program.

It needs to be led by our faith, said Director of Multicultural Ministries Carlos Castaeda.

A similar presentation will be given by Mr. Mollo atToledo Smart School on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

The rest is here:
Attorney urges federal immigration reform - Toledo Blade

UPDATED | April 7, 2017 10:52 AM April 7, 2017 6:14 AM

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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) The organizers ofthe Immigration Reform Mega March in Dallas are hoping for a big turnout on Sunday afternoon,expecting some100,000 people to walk through the streets of downtown.

Organizers and participants are callingfor an end to executive orders discriminating against Muslims and what they say areaggressive deportation efforts by the federal government.

Dallas Mega March CoordinatorDomingo Garcia said, I think its important that as many people as possible come and send a message to Washington D.C. that its time to pass immigration reform, that using immigration as a wedge tactic doesnt work and it only divides Americans, as opposed to bringing us together.

Those going out to participate in the march and rally are being encouraged to wear red, white and blue.

The record for the largest civil rights march in Texas history was set back in 2006. That rally drewhalf a million people.

Large crowds like thesecreate a giant security challenge for the Dallas Police Department. After the Dallas police ambush last summer, and other attacks like the Boston Marathon bombings, extra measures are being taken to make sure that the Sunday event remains peaceful.

Police watch towers were already in place earlyFriday morning, and Homeland Security agents toured the citys public transit rail lines even earlier in the week. Organizers insisted that police, federal agents and other law officials were preparing for any safety issues that might arise.

Our goal is to be peaceful and to conduct this march in a peaceful way, explained event coordinator Hector Flores.

The Immigration Reform Mega March runs from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon and ends with a big rally, at approximately 3:30 p.m., at the Dallas City Hall plaza.

Extra security measures are being taken along Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) rail lines, the march route and at Dallas City Hall. Dallas police have already put up a watch towernearby.

Several streets around the downtown area will be blocked due to the event, so be sure to check the traffic map for updates and DARTs website forall alerts related to the march.

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100000 Expected At North Texas Immigration Reform Mega March - CBS DFW

Arrests at the United States southern Border have reached their lowest point in 17 years, according to Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. Fewer than 17,000 illegal aliens were caught attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border last month, compared to more than 58,000 in December, 2016, and 48,150 in March of last year. Contributing to this improvement is a steep decline of Unaccompanied Alien Minors (UAMs) attempting to enter the country. Fewer than 1,000 UAMs were apprehended, compared to 4,209 in March of 2016.

The presumed drop in attempted illegal crossings is no mistake, according to Secretary Kelly. In a written testimony submitted to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, he lauded successful efforts by border agents and the support of our leadership in the White House as primary factors.

Ever since announcing his candidacy, President Trump has spoken strongly in favor of enforcing existing immigration laws. This rhetoric appears to be giving potential illegal aliens second thoughts about trying to enter the United States at least until they see what policies the administration ends up implementing and/or enforcing.

These results make sense. If a person is told that they are not welcome to illegally enter a particular location, they are far less likely to even try. The astounding decline in illegal entries appears to be proving that the message the Trump administration is sending to would-be illegal immigrants is having the desired effect.

This shouldnt come as a surprise, either, because history tells the same story. As noted by the Federation of American Immigration Reform in the past, a combination of rhetoric and action even though many believe it was far from enough helped former President Bill Clinton significantly boost voluntary removals and curb attempted crossings by would-be illegal immigrants.

Removing the incentives for illegal aliens to violate our laws is the cheapest, most effective, and most humane means of reducing illegal immigration. This approach starts with changing the narrative and ending the distribution of benefits currently available to illegal aliens. As is being witnessed, fewer unauthorized migrants will attempt to enter the United States when the river of incentives starts to dry up.

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Border Crossing Arrests Reach Lowest Point Since 2000 ... - ImmigrationReform.com (blog)