Trump Unveils Legislation Limiting Legal Immigration

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Updated at 3:30 p.m. ET

President Trump unveiled controversial legislation on Wednesday that would sharply curtail legal immigration to the United States.

The president met at the White House with two Republican senators pushing the legislation, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia.

One of Trump's campaign promises was to reduce immigration, illegal and legal. The Cotton-Perdue legislation, also known as the RAISE Act (for Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy), would cut by half the number of legal immigrants accepted into the U.S. each year.

As NPR's John Burnett reported,

"Their bill would do three things: First, limit the number of foreign nationals who are able to get green cards to reunite with their families already in the U.S. — currently the largest category of legal immigrants; second, cut the number of refugees in half; third, eliminate the diversity visa lottery — a program that gives visas to countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. "Cotton says the number of green cards awarded each year — about a million — is excessive. " 'In one year, this would reduce it to around 600,000,' Cotton says. 'Over the span of the 10-year window, it would fall to about 500,000.' "

Trump said the measure "will reduce poverty, increase wages and save taxpayers billions and billions of dollars." The current system, Trump said, "has not been fair to our people, to our citizens, to our workers." He said the new system would favor applicants "who can speak English, financially support themselves and their families, and demonstrate skills that will contribute to our economy." It would also prevent new arrivals from collecting welfare.

Enlarge this image toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/AP

A White House official, speaking on background, says that the current immigration system "is outdated, and doesn't meet the diverse needs of our economy" and that the legislation being unveiled Wednesday "is aimed at creating a skills-based immigration system that will make America more competitive, raise wages for American workers and create jobs."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement the proposal would "help the Department of Justice perform its duties to uphold our nation's immigration law and end the unlawful abuse of our public benefits program that undermine U.S. taxpayers."

Limiting legal immigration is opposed by business groups, which rely on low-skilled workers for agriculture and other jobs. And economists point to the low unemployment rate, 4.4 percent last month, as evidence that there are relatively few Americans who are without jobs now and that, as baby boomers retire, there will be a labor shortage.

But backers of stricter immigration limits say allowing unskilled people into the country keeps wages low, especially for workers with only a high-school diploma or less.

A group of 1,470 economists released a letter to the president, saying that "the benefits that immigration brings to society far outweigh their costs, and smart immigration policy could better maximize the benefits of immigration while reducing the costs."

It's not clear how much support there is in the Senate for such a bill. Republicans such as Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona are likely opponents, and there's little enthusiasm among Democrats.

Still, on the heels of last week's collapse of efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, Trump is looking for a legislative victory, and with strong support inside the White House from advisers Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller, there is likely to be a strong push for the measure in the weeks and months ahead.</s>U.S. President Donald Trump has signed legislation imposing new sanctions on Russia into law after

last week’s vote by congress for sanctions to punish the Russian

government over interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea and other perceived violations of international norms.

Trump, who has made clear he wants to improve relations with Russia, has accepted the new congressional sanctions, which also includes Iran and North Korea.

The bill had enough support in Congress to override a presidential veto.

Donald Trump and two Republican senators, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia, have unveiled a plan to change the rules for legal immigrants.

The new proposal suggests a cut in legal immigration by 50 percent over 10 years by reducing the kinds of relatives immigrants can bring into the country.

The White House believes the changes proposed by the senators would raise wages FOREIGN

 and create jobs.</s>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced his support Wednesday for legislation that would cut in half the number of legal immigrants allowed into the United States while moving to a "merit-based" system of entry.

"That is why we are here today: Merit-based," Trump said, joined at the White House Roosevelt Room podium by the bill's sponsors, Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ar., and David Perdue, R-Ga.

The RAISE Act, which Cotton and Perdue introduced in February, would scrap the current lottery system to get into the U.S. and instead institute a points-based system for earning a green card. Factors that would be taken into account include English language skills, education, high-paying job offers and age.

New immigrants would also be prevented from collecting welfare, an issue Trump had spoken to in recent months.

"That's a very big thing. They're not going to come in and just immediately go and collect welfare," Trump said.

The president had promised an Iowa crowd in June that he would soon introduce legislation that would bar legal immigrants to America from receiving welfare benefits for at least five years. At the time, critics said that was already the law of the land, put into place under then-President Bill Clinton.

While cracking down on illegal immigration was central to Trump's campaign, his position on legal immigration has been much more ambiguous.

Trump has previously said he wants people to come in on merit, but also rebuffed the idea that he wants to reduce legal immigration.

"No, no, no, we want people coming in legally," he told the Economist in May.

Slashing legal immigration is a key feature of the Cotton-Perdue bill, though many pro-immigration Republicans like Jeb Bush have suggested similar changes without an overall reduction in immigration.

Top advisers, including current Attorney General Jeff Sessions and policy aide Stephen Miller, have long championed restrictions on foreign workers and legal immigrants, who they argue depress wages.

Trump's prepared speeches and policy papers often reflected their views: His campaign proposed a pause on issuing H-1B worker visas and Trump pledged in a speech to return overall immigration to "historical norms," which some observers saw as a code for a significant decrease.

But when Trump has given interviews or participated in off-the-cuff forums, he’s sounded much more enthusiastic about immigration and used talking points that sound more reminiscent of pro-business allies who don't want any reduction.

During the campaign, he disavowed his own campaign’s position on H-1B visas in some primary debates, instead saying the U.S. should try to attract more tech workers from abroad, only to return to his hardline positions later.

Trump also defended the use of foreign labor at his resort properties, which have continued to request worker visas since his election. His administration recently raised the number of available visas for seasonal workers by 15,000, which drew negative coverage from outlets like Breitbart.</s>(UPI) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced new immigration legislation that favors English-speaking applicants who can financially support themselves and contribute to the U.S. economy.

Trump made the announcement in the White House alongside Republican Sens. David Perdue of Georgia and Tom Cotton of Arkansas.

The legislation — the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act, or RAISE Act — will “reduce poverty, increase wages and save taxpayers billions and billions of dollars,” Trump said.

“It will do this by changing the way the United States issues green cards to nationals from other countries. Green cards provide permanent residency, work authorization and fast-track to citizenship,” the president said. “For decades, the United States was operated and has operated a very low-skilled immigration system — issuing record numbers of green cards to low-wage immigrants.”

Trump said the longstanding policy has “placed substantial pressure on American workers, taxpayers and community resources.”

In February, Perdue and Cotton proposed cutting the number of legal immigrants into the United States by 50 percent over 10 years.

Trump said the RAISE Act “ends chain migration and replaces our low-skilled system with a new points-based system for receiving a green card.”

“This competitive application process will favor applicants who can speak English, financially support themselves and their families, and demonstrate skills that will contribute to our economy,” he added.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said more than 1 million immigrants gained permanent residency in the United States in 2015.

“The RAISE Act is aimed at creating a skills-based immigration system that will make America more competitive, raise wages for American workers, and create jobs. Americans deserve a raise,” the White House said in a statement.

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, out of based on rating</s>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced his support Wednesday for legislation that would cut in half the number of legal immigrants allowed into the United States while moving to a "merit-based" system of entry.

"That is why we are here today: Merit-based," said Trump, who was joined in the White House Roosevelt Room by the bill's Senate sponsors, Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and David Perdue, R-Ga.

The RAISE Act, which Cotton and Perdue introduced in February, would scrap the current lottery system to get into the U.S. and instead institute a points-based system for earning a green card. Factors that would be taken into account include English language skills, education, high-paying job offers and age.

New immigrants would also be prevented from collecting welfare, an issue Trump had spoken to in recent months.

"That's a very big thing. They're not going to come in and just immediately go and collect welfare," Trump said.

The president had promised an Iowa crowd in June that he would soon introduce legislation that would bar legal immigrants to America from receiving welfare benefits for at least five years. At the time, critics said that was already the law of the land, put into place under then-President Bill Clinton.

Republicans across the ideological spectrum on immigration have long talked about retooling the green card system, which is for permanent residents, to focus less on family ties and more on useful skills.

At issue is how many immigrants to let in: Immigration doves argue that it's impossible to meet Trump's goals of higher growth without bringing in more workers, while immigration hawks argue they will drag down wages and fail to assimilate.

Economists broadly agree that immigration boosts the economy overall, including for native-born Americans, but some studies also suggest that new immigrants depress incomes for certain low-skilled workers, especially in existing immigrant communities.

While cracking down on illegal immigration was central to Trump's campaign, his position on legal immigration has been much more ambiguous.

Trump has previously said he wants people to come in on merit, but also rebuffed the idea that he wants to reduce legal immigration.

"No, no, no, we want people coming in legally," he told the Economist in May.

Slashing legal immigration is a key feature of the Cotton-Perdue bill, though many pro-immigration Republicans like Jeb Bush have suggested similar changes without an overall reduction in immigration.

An hour after Trump announced his support for the RAISE Act, one prominent GOP senator, Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., issued a series of tweets criticizing the proposal, deeming it "devastating to SC economy" if it were to become law. Graham was part of the 2013 "Gang of Eight" who sought comprehensive immigration reform.

On the other side of the aisle, DNC Chair Tom Perez called the immigration effort not "just an affront to our values, it's also a threat to our economy" in a statement Wednesday.

Meanwhile, advocates for restricting legal immigration like the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) released a statement applauding Trump, Cotton and Perdue "for recognizing the current dysfunction of our outdated immigration policies that, unlike the rest of the nation, have been stuck in a time warp for the last 50 years."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an immigration hawk himself, said in a statement that the RAISE proposal "will help the Department of Justice perform its duties to uphold our nation's immigration law."

Top Trump advisers, including Sessions and policy aide Stephen Miller, have long championed restrictions on foreign workers and legal immigrants, who, they argue, depress wages.

Trump's prepared speeches and policy papers often reflected their views: His campaign proposed a pause on issuing H-1B worker visas, and Trump pledged in a speech to return overall immigration to "historical norms," which some observers saw as a code for a significant decrease.

But when Trump has given interviews or participated in off-the-cuff forums, he’s sounded much more enthusiastic about immigration and used talking points that sound more reminiscent of pro-business allies who don't want any reduction.

During the campaign, he disavowed his own campaign’s position on H-1B visas in some primary debates, instead saying the U.S. should try to attract more tech workers from abroad, only to return to his hardline positions later.

Trump also defended the use of foreign labor at his resort properties, which have continued to request worker visas since his election. His administration recently raised the number of available visas for seasonal workers by 15,000, which drew negative coverage from conservative outlets like Breitbart.</s>Washington: US President Donald Trump has endorsed a legislation that would drastically cut the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country and implement “merit-based” visa scheme which could benefit highly-educated and technology professionals from countries like India.

The Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act would scrap the current lottery system to get into the US and instead institute a points-based system for earning a Green Card.

Factors that would be taken into account include English language skills, education, high-paying job offers and age.

If passed by the Congress and signed into law, the legislation could benefit highly-educated people and technology professionals from countries like India.

“The RAISE Act will reduce poverty, increase wages, and save taxpayers billions and billions of dollars. It will do this by changing the way the US issues Green Cards to nationals from other countries. Green Cards provide permanent residency, work authorisation, and fast track to citizenship,” Trump said at a White House event to announce his support to the RAISE Act.

The bill, Trump said, “would represent the most significant reform to our immigration system in half a century.”

Standing along with two top authors of the bill—senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue—Trump said the RAISE Act ends chain migration and replaces the low-skilled system with a new points-based system for receiving a Green Card.

This competitive application process will favour applicants who can speak English, financially support themselves and their families and demonstrate skills that will contribute to our economy, he said.

The RAISE Act prevents new migrants and new immigrants from collecting welfare and protects US workers from being displaced, he added.

“That’s a very big thing. They’re not going to come in and just immediately go and collect welfare. That doesn’t happen under the RAISE Act. They can’t do that. Crucially, the Green Card reforms in the RAISE Act will give American workers a pay raise by reducing unskilled immigration,” he said.

“It has not been fair to our people, to our citizens, to our workers,” Trump said of the current immigration system. Trump said this legislation will not only restore America’s competitive edge in the 21st century, but it will restore the sacred bonds of trust between US and its citizens.

“This legislation demonstrates our compassion for struggling American families who deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first and that puts America first,” he said.

Noting that the current system is “an obsolete disaster”, senator Cotton said that it is time for it to change. “First, we bring over a million immigrants into this country a year. That’s like adding the population of Montana every single year; adding the population of Arkansas every three years. The vast majority of those workers—or those immigrants come here not because of their English-language abilities or their job skills, or their job offer, or their educational attainment,” he said.

“In fact, only one in 15 out of a million new immigrants come here because of their job skills and their ability to succeed in this economy,” Cotton said. The RAISE Act will be re-orienting Green Card system, he added.

Senator Perdue said the current system does not work. “It keeps America from being competitive, and it does not meet the needs of the economy today,” he said.

“Today we bring in 1.1 million legal immigrants a year. Over 50% of our households of legal immigrants today participate in our social welfare system. Right now, only one out of 15 immigrants who come into our country comes in with skills that are employable. We’ve got to change that,” he said.

Perdue said he looked at the best practices before drafting the legislation. “We looked at countries like Canada, Australia, and others. What we’re introducing today is modelled on the current Canadian and Australian systems. It’s pro-worker, it’s pro-growth, and it’s been proven to work. Both have been extremely successful in attracting highly skilled workers to those countries,” the senator said.

“We can all agree that the goals of our nation’s immigration system should be to protect the interests of working Americans, including immigrants, and to welcome talented individuals who come here legally and want to work and make a better life for themselves. Our current system makes it virtually impossible for them to do that,” said the senator.

According to attorney general Jeff Sessions, the higher entry standards established in this proposal will allow authorities to do a more thorough job reviewing applicants for entry, therefore protecting the security of the US homeland.

The additional time spent on vetting each application as a result of this legislation will also ensure that each application serves the national interest, he observed.

“The American people deserve a lawful immigration system that promotes our national interest. The RAISE Act would give us a more merit-based immigration system that admits the best and the brightest around the world while making it harder for people to come here illegally,” Sessions said.

“The bill would end a programme known to be rife with fraud and abuse and finally improve the vetting process, making our country and working class wages much safer and stronger,” said the attorney general. PTI</s>WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump plans to join with two Republican senators to unveil legislation that would place new limits on legal immigration. It would seek an immigration system based on merit and jobs skills instead of family connections.

Trump was appearing with Republican Sens. David Perdue of Georgia and Tom Cotton of Arkansas at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the bill. The president said at an Ohio rally last month that he was working with the conservative senators to “create a new immigration system for America.”

Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a hallmark of his administration and has tried to slash federal grants for cities that refuse to comply with federal efforts to detain and deport those living in the country illegally.

READ MORE: U.S. House gives Donald Trump funds to begin border wall construction

His involvement will put him at the centre of efforts to make changes to the legal immigration system. Previewing the event, White House officials said the bill would aim to create a skills-based immigration system to make the U.S. more competitive, raise wages and create jobs.

The White House said that only 1 in 15 immigrants comes to the U.S. because of their skills, and the current system fails to place a priority on highly skilled immigrants.

WATCH: Trump says he has people working on a new immigration system that would be “merit-based.”

Perdue and Cotton introduced the legislation in February that would change the 1965 law to reduce the number of legal immigrants, limiting the number of people able to obtain green cards to join families already in the United States.

The bill would also aim to slash the number of refugees in half and eliminate a program that provides visas to countries with low rates of immigration.

Trump’s appearance was aimed at bringing attention to the bill, which has been largely ignored in the Senate, with no other lawmaker signing on as a co-sponsor. GOP leaders have showed no inclination to vote on immigration this year.

READ MORE: Donald Trump says he is working to ‘create a new immigration system’ for U.S.

Some immigrant advocates have criticized the proposal, saying that slashing legal immigration would hurt industries like agriculture and harm the economy.

“Our system is broken, but the response should be to modernize it, not take a sledgehammer to it,” said Jeremy Robbins, executive director of New American Economy, a group of business leaders, mayors and others backed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg that advocates for comprehensive immigration reform.

Associated Press writers Erica Werner and Donna Cassata contributed to this report.</s>WASHINGTON D.C. — President Donald Trump threw his support Wednesday behind legislation that looks to curb the level of legal immigration into the United States by proposing a skills-based immigration system.

Trump backed the effort from Republican Sens. David Perdue and Tom Cotton in a speech at the White House. But the plan faces long odds in Congress.

Top White House aides have been working with Perdue and Cotton on the bill that — if passed — would dramatically remake the current immigration system, which allows a number of ways to bring family members to the US along with job-based visas.

Trump cast the proposal as a way to protect American workers by reducing unskilled immigration and creating a merit-based system that grades possible immigrants based on their ability to work in the United States.

“It has not been fair to our people, to our citizens, to our workers,” Trump said of the current immigration system, specifically citing low-income and minority workers.

The bill, Trump said, “would represent the most significant reform to our immigration system in half a century.”

The effort is expected to be met with skepticism from both Democrats and Republicans. But Trump’s support could help the measure gain traction.

Cotton, of Arkansas, and Perdue, of Georgia, initially unveiled the “Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act” in February, arguing that the bill will “help raise American workers’ wages by restoring legal immigration levels to their historical norms and rebalancing the system toward employment-based visas and immediate-family household members.”

“We are taking action to fix some of the shortcomings in our legal immigration system,” Perdue said at the time. “Returning to our historically normal levels of legal immigration will help improve the quality of American jobs and wages.”

Cotton’s office told CNN in July that the bill will be reintroduced with slight changes, but that the goal remains reducing legal immigration to the United States by 50%.

The original version of the bill cut back on what’s referred to as “chain migration,” ways of immigrating to the United States that are based on family or not based on skills. The bill would limit the types of family members of immigrants that can also be brought to the US to primarily spouses and minor children, would eliminate the international diversity visa lottery and limit the number of annual refugee admissions.

White House aides involved in the current effort include Stephen Miller, a senior adviser for policy and a Trump speechwriter; Julia Hahn, a special assistant to the President; and Andrew Bremberg, a policy aide.

Trump has long said he wants to reform the nation’s immigration system, but any plan to do that seems like less of a priority for an administration that is now focused on health care, tax reform and a host of international issues.

“What I’d like to do is a comprehensive immigration plan,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One in July. “But our country and political forces are not ready yet.”</s>WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Donald Trump, joined by Republican Sens. David Perdue and Tom Cotton at the White House on Wednesday, will throw his support behind legislation that looks to curb the level of legal immigration into the United States by proposing a skills-based immigration system, a White House official told CNN.

Top White House aides have been working with Perdue and Cotton on the bill that, if passed, would dramatically remake the current immigration system, which allows a number of ways to bring family members to the US along with job-based visas.

The proposal faces long odds in Congress, where it is expected to be met with skepticism from both Democrats and Republicans. But Trump's support could help the measure gain traction.

"Our current immigration system is outdated and doesn't meet the diverse needs of our economy. ... And we don't prioritize ultra-high-skilled immigrants. We need an immigration system that meets the current needs of our workforce and encourages innovation," another White House official said in a statement. "Today, Senator Cotton and Senator Perdue will join President Trump to unveil legislation aimed at creating a skills-based immigration system that will make America more competitive, raise wages for American workers, and create jobs."

Cotton, of Arkansas, and Perdue, of Georgia, initially unveiled the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act in February, arguing that the bill will "help raise American workers' wages by restoring legal immigration levels to their historical norms and rebalancing the system toward employment-based visas and immediate-family household members."

"We are taking action to fix some of the shortcomings in our legal immigration system," Perdue said at the time. "Returning to our historically normal levels of legal immigration will help improve the quality of American jobs and wages."

Cotton's office told CNN in July that the bill will be reintroduced with slight changes, but that the goal remains reducing legal immigration to the United States by 50%.

The original version of the bill cut back on what's referred to as "chain migration," ways of immigrating to the United States that are based on family or not based on skills. The bill would limit the types of family members of immigrants that can also be brought to the US to primarily spouses and minor children, would eliminate the international diversity visa lottery and limit the number of annual refugee admissions.

The over-arching goal for the Cotton-Perdue bill, the first official said, is to install a system where immigrants are allowed into the country based on their skills and contributions, as opposed to familial connections or a lottery.

"The bottom line here is that the President believes we should have a merit-based system of immigration in this country," the first official told CNN. "What the merit-based system would do is bring our immigration policy more in line with what's good for American workers and taxpayers, so that's the overarching goal, and that I'm sure is the driving force behind talks with Congress and these senators."

White House aides involved in the current effort include Stephen Miller, a senior adviser for policy and a Trump speechwriter; Julia Hahn, a special assistant to the President; and Andrew Bremberg, a policy aide.

Trump has long said he wants to reform the nation's immigration system, but any plan to do that seems like less of a priority for an administration that is now focused on health care, tax reform and a host of international issues.

"What I'd like to do is a comprehensive immigration plan," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One in July. "But our country and political forces are not ready yet."</s>WASHINGTON – President Trump waded back into the immigration battle Wednesday, touting a plan by two Republican senators designed to slash legal immigration and block the entry of low-skill, low-wage workers into the United States.

Proclaiming the proposal to be the biggest overhaul of immigration in more than half-a-century, Trump said the current system "has not been fair" to U.S. workers because it allows employers to undercut them by hiring migrants for less pay.

"Struggling American families ... deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first, and that puts America first," Trump said during a brief White House event.

Republican Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia, who introduced similar legislation in Congress earlier this year, joined Trump at the announcement.

The bill, designed to cut legal immigrants onto the United States by 50% over ten years, has been stalled in the Senate for months.

At the heart of their proposal is an attempt to completely overhaul the focus of the U.S. immigration system, which currently favors immigrants who have family ties over those who must prove they will contribute to the economy.

It reduces the 1.1 million permanent immigrants accepted each year by allowing U.S. citizens to sponsor only their spouse or child, eliminating diversity lottery visas and limiting the number of refugees offered permanent residency in the country.

Perdue said the plan is based partly on that of Canada, where 63% of legal immigrants are admitted based on their potential contributions to the economy, and only 24% are admitted based on family ties. The U.S. system is flipped, with 63% of legal immigrants admitted based on family ties and 13% based on their economic potential.

Critics, including many members of Congress, said the plan calls for allowing immigration based on ratios of applicants, not hard numbers.

That means it will wind up reducing legal immigration, whether applicants are skilled or not.

"The Perdue-Cotton bill does exactly what President Trump has indicated he does not want to do, and that is massively restrict legal immigration," said political consultant Liz Mair, who describes herself as a Republican immigration advocate.

Mair disputed Perdue's comparisons of his plan with those of Canada and Australia, saying, "both of those countries admit massively more legal immigrants relative to their population than the U.S. ever could if this bill became law."

In getting behind the plan, Trump – who made immigration a major campaign issue – said he wants a "merit-based system" that reduces green cards for low-skill workers and emphasizes migrants who can speak English and have technical skills.

That seems to run contrary to his actions as president thus far.

Shortly after taking office, Trump announced a program-wide review of the H-1B visa program designed for high-skilled foreign workers trained in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Trump said the program was being abused by technology companies as they imported cheaper foreign workers to replace U.S. tech workers.

Then, two weeks ago, Trump's Department of Homeland Security announced that it would create 15,000 additional H-2B visas that are designed for low-skilled workers, including those who work in retail, construction, restaurants, hotels and resorts, including those run by the Trump organization.

It's unclear how the renewed push for the legislation – even with Trump's support for it – will fare in the Senate.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told reporters at the Capitol Wednesday that he supported skilled-based immigration but the U.S. also needed other kinds of workers.

“If Wisconsin is an indication of the rest of the country, we’re short workers,” the conservative senator said. “We need migrant laborers to milk our dairy cows. I haven’t looked at the numbers but my sense is that is probably policy (that) is going to harm economic growth."

And Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the proposal would be "devastating" to his state's economy, which relies on an immigrant workforce.

“I've always supported merit-based immigration. I think we should always want to attract the best and brightest to the United States," he said. “Unfortunately, the other part of this proposal would reduce legal immigration by half, including many immigrants who work legally in our agriculture, tourism and service industries."

Since South Carolina’s number one industry is agriculture and tourism is number two, he said, "if this proposal were to become law, it would be devastating to our state’s economy which relies on this immigrant workforce."

What's more, Democrats are not likely to support a fundamental change to the nation’s family reunification policy for legal immigration.

Shortly after Trump's appearance, Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez released a statement in both English and Spanish.

“Donald Trump and Mike Pence keep pushing their anti-immigrant agenda, and now they’re seeking to deny millions the American Dream by dramatically cutting legal immigration and limiting family reunification," he said.

"Instead of catching criminals, Trump wants to tear apart communities and punish immigrant families that are making valuable contributions to our economy. That’s not what America stands for. We need comprehensive immigration reform that tackles the real issues with our immigration system and reflects the views of the vast majority of Americans who favor a legal path to citizenship for those already in our country.”
United States President Donald Trump, together with Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue, unveils the RAISE Act, a plan that would, if passed, reduce legal immigration to the U.S. by half each year, and implement a "merit-based system" prioritizing skilled workers, instead of the current family-based chain migration system.