ASSESSMENTS

U.S. Immigration Reforms May Hit a Wall in Congress

Jan 10, 2018 | 23:20 GMT

An asylum seeker waits in a security line for his immigration hearing in Seattle, Washington, on Jan. 11, 2017.

An asylum seeker waits in a security line for his immigration hearing in Seattle, Washington, on Jan. 11, 2017. Immigration reform is shaping up to be one of the main domestic priorities for the Trump administration in 2018.

(JASON REDMOND/AFP/Getty Images)

Highlights

  • In 2018, the Trump administration will try to pass immigration reforms designed to curb both illegal and legal immigration.
  • Proposed reforms include the elimination of the diversity visa lottery, funding for heavier border security measures, and prioritizing professional merit rather than family ties when admitting immigrants.
  • With only a slim Republican majority in the Senate and facing resistance from the private sector, the White House is unlikely to get congressional approval for much of its agenda and will have to make compromises. 

One of U.S. President Donald Trump's main promises on the 2016 campaign trail was to limit both illegal and legal migration. Nearly a year into his tenure, immigration reform is indeed shaping up to be a domestic priority for the Trump administration. The White House presented Congress an extensive list of reform demands in October 2017, which have been whittled down to form the basis of negotiations in the legislature. But as with many of Trump's other bold campaign promises, overhauling the U.S. immigration system will be easier said than done....

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