“A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation.” –Ronald Reagan Young America’s Foundation supports President Donald Trump’s immigration reform plan announced on Thursday, May 17. During remarks from the Rose Garden, President Donald Trump proposed a pro-American, pro-immigrant, and pro-worker approach to immigration by fully securing the border and moving our outdated legal immigration system to a competitive, merit-based system.
Our country is facing a national crisis, with more than 100,000 illegal aliens arriving at our border each of the past two months. It is estimated that one million will arrive this year alone. Our current system is broken and poses serious threats to the well-being of young people. In fact, 65 percent of all border-crossers this year were either minors or adults traveling with minors.
Overhaul to our immigration system is long overdue, having last been updated in 1965—54 years ago. The President’s plans for immigration reform will:
- Fully secure the border
- Protect American wages
- Attract and retain the best and brightest talent
- Prioritize immediate families
- Strengthen our workforce
- Preserve our humanitarian values
The President’s proposal will protect our nation by continuing to add to the 400-plus miles of border wall underway in key locations.
The proposal will empower immigration officials to protect American communities, increasing their ability to remove criminal aliens and alien gang members. It will also restore integrity to our asylum system and expedite the asylum review process for immigrants. The President’s proposal will stop the deluge of child smuggling and quickly reunite unaccompanied children with their families back home. The President’s proposal will put our country’s interest first—like so many other nations do for their own citizens—moving to a merit-based immigration system to protect American workers. Today, vulnerable Americans are the ones hurt the most by the current immigration system, which undercuts wages and drains our social safety net programs. The President’s proposal includes the “Build America Visa,” which selects immigrants based on high-skill categories: extraordinary talent, professional and specialized vocations, and exceptional academic track records. This proposal also puts family first—ensuring that parents and children will be at the front of the line to obtain green cards. The President’s proposal promotes our common language and creates a transparent system that levels the playing field for all potential immigrants. This proposal will increase American global competitiveness in attracting and retaining the best and brightest by ensuring the United States is more closely aligned with the merit-based systems used by other countries, including Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. As Senator Obama said in 2005, “We simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States undetected, undocumented and unchecked.” Secretary Clinton noted in 2016, “I voted numerous times when I was a senator to spend money to build a barrier to try to prevent illegal immigrants from coming in…I do think you have to control your border.” However, while leaders on the Left flip-flop on this imperative issue facing our great nation, President Trump remains committed to his promise to put American workers first.
Young America’s Foundation supports President Trump’s plans to do just that. While leftist officials “are proposing open borders, lower wages, and, frankly, lawless chaos,” noted President Trump, “we are proposing an immigration plan that puts the jobs, wages, and safety of American workers first.” Now, more than ever, YAF believes it is important for all conservatives to support the President’s common-sense plan to ensure our nation is secure, our economy continues to grow, and our future is safe.
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