Key Democrats and some conservative groups criticize Trump's new immigration plan
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The Trump administration proposed a new immigration plan that would protect more immigrants brought to the country illegally as children while calling for wall funding and an end to some immigration programs.
Key Democrats criticized Thursday’s proposal, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Michelle Lujan Graham, report the Washington Post, the New York Times, Reuters, USA Today and Politico.
Some conservative groups also opposed the plan, calling it amnesty.
The plan would allow a path to citizenship for anyone brought to the country illegally as a child, including those who haven’t applied for protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. As many as 1.8 million people would be protected under the proposal, which is more than twice as many currently enrolled in DACA, according to the Washington Post.
The plan would allow those under DACA to become citizens in 10 to 12 years if they have jobs and don’t commit crimes.
One of the tradeoffs is a call for a $25 billion trust fund to pay for the border wall with Mexico. The plan also calls for swifter immigration enforcement, an end to a visa lottery program for people from countries with low immigration rates to the United States, and an end to citizens being allowed to bring their parents and siblings to the United States. Citizens would be allowed to sponsor only spouses and minor children.
