2018 State of the Union address: on Immigration


Donald Trump: Close deadly loopholes that allow in gangs like MS-13

For decades, open borders have allowed drugs and gangs to pour into our most vulnerable communities. They have caused the loss of many innocent lives.

Tonight, I am calling on the Congress to finally close the deadly loopholes that have allowed MS-13, and other criminals, to break into our country. We have proposed new legislation that will fix our immigration laws, and support our ICE and Border Patrol Agents.

[OnTheIssues note: MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, is an international criminal gang based

Source: 2018 State of the Union address Jan 30, 2018

Donald Trump: Americans are DREAMers too; pass a bipartisan compromise

The United States is a compassionate nation. We are proud that we do more than any other country to help the needy, the struggling, and the underprivileged all over the world. But as President, my highest loyalty, my greatest compassion, and my constant concern is for America's children, America's struggling workers, and America's forgotten communities.

So tonight, I am extending an open hand to work with members of both parties--Democrats and Republicans. My duty is to defend Americans--to protect their safety, their families, their communities, and their right to the American Dream. Because Americans are dreamers too.

In recent months, we met extensively with both Democrats and Republicans to craft a bipartisan approach to immigration reform. Based on these discussions, we presented the Congress with a detailed proposal that should be supported by both parties as a fair compromise. [OnTheIssues note:"DREAMers" refers to DACA immigrants, who arrived in the US as minors, under the DREAM Act].

Source: 2018 State of the Union address Jan 30, 2018

Donald Trump: Four pillars to a fair compromise, including 1.8M DREAMers

Here are the four pillars of our bipartisan immigration reform package:
  1. Generously offer a path to citizenship for 1.8 million illegal immigrants who were brought here by their parents at a young age.
  2. Fully secure the border. That means building a wall on the Southern border. Crucially, our plan closes the terrible loopholes exploited by criminals and terrorists to enter our country--and it finally ends the dangerous practice of "catch and release."
  3. End the visa lottery, and move
    Source: 2018 State of the Union address Jan 30, 2018

    Donald Trump: Replace visa lottery with merit-based system

    TRUMP: [My immigration package] ends the visa lottery--a program that randomly hands out green cards without any regard for skill, merit, or the safety of our people. It is time to begin moving towards a merit-based immigration system--one that admits people who are skilled, who want to work, who will contribute to our society, and who will love and respect our country.

    Christian Science Monitor explanation:The president & his supporters appear to be defining merit as highly skilled, well-educated immigrants who speak English and can support themselves. But what about strawberry pickers? Those jobs are commonly performed by low-skilled immigrants. The administration points to countries such as Canada and Australia that have supply- oriented policies. These countries have long used point systems to qualify applicants, assigning them points for education, working age, employment, language, & other skills that determine their likelihood of assimilation and contribution to the economy.

    Source: Christian Science Monitor on 2018 State of the Union address Jan 30, 2018

    Geoff Diehl: Build the wall; stop chain migration; end sanctuary cities

    State Representative Geoff Diehl, candidate for U.S. Senate, reacted to President Donald Trump's first State of the Union: Illegal immigration costs the Commonwealth $1.8 billion annually. That's why I agree with the President that we need to build the wall, stop chain migration and end sanctuary cities," said Diehl.
    Source: Reaction to 2018 State of the Union speech Jan 30, 2018

    Joe Kennedy III: Build a wall and my generation will tear it down

    Our story began the day our Founding Fathers and Mothers set sail for a New World, fleeing oppression and intolerance. It continued with every word of our Independence--the audacity to declare that all men are created equal. An imperfect promise for a nation struggling to become a more perfect union. It grew with every suffragette's step, every Freedom Riders voice, every weary soul we welcomed to our shores.

    America, we carry that story on our shoulders. You swarmed Washington last year to ensure no parent has to worry if they can afford to save their child's life. You proudly marched together last weekend--thousands deep--in the streets of Las Vegas and Philadelphia and Nashville. You sat high atop your mom's shoulders and held a sign that read: "Build a wall and my generation will tear it down."

    Source: Democratic Response to 2018 State of the Union address Jan 30, 2018

    Joe Kennedy III: To all the DREAMers: Vamos a luchar por ustedes

    Many have spent the past year anxious, angry, afraid. We all feel the fault lines of a fractured country. We hear the voices of Americans who feel forgotten and forsaken. A Justice Department rolling back civil rights by the day. Hatred and supremacy proudly marching in our streets. And that nagging, sinking feeling, no matter your political beliefs: this is not right. This is not who we are.

    It would be easy to dismiss the past year as chaos. Partisanship. Politics. But it's far bigger than that. This administration isn't just targeting the laws that protect us--they are targeting the very idea that we are all worthy of protection.

    [The Trump] administration callously appraises our worthiness and decides who makes the cut and who can be bargained away.

    To all the "Dreamers" watching tonight, let me be clear: Ustedes son parte de nuestra historia. Vamos a luchar por ustedes y no nos vamos alejar. You are a part of our story. We will fight for you. We will not walk away.

    Source: Democratic Response to 2018 State of the Union address Jan 30, 2018

    Donald Trump: Fact-check: End chain migration? It can't actually happen

    [My immigration plan] protects the nuclear family by ending chain migration. Under the current broken system, a single immigrant can bring in virtually unlimited numbers of distant relatives. Under our plan, we focus on the immediate family by limiting sponsorships to spouses and minor children.

    Politico.com Fact-Check: Family reunification has been the basis for immigration since 1965. Under this law, if you marry that guy you met while working in Shanghai, you can bring him home. And his 2-year-old. And when you'd like his parents to help with child care, you can bring them in too, after a few years. If we had a family immigration system without limits, this structure could theoretically lead to the dreaded chain migration. That Chinese spouse can petition for his sister, and her family, and so on. But the immigration system's waiting lists make chain migration a theory that doesn't really happen in practice. This is because each link in the chain takes years to complete. \

    Source: Politico.com FactCheck on 2018 State of the Union address Jan 26, 2018

    • The above quotations are from 2018 State of the Union address to Congress, plus the Democratic response,Jan. 30, 2018.
    • Click here for definitions & background information on Immigration.
    • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
    • Click here for more quotes by Donald Trump on Immigration.
    • Click here for more quotes by Joe Kennedy III on Immigration.
    2020 Presidential contenders on Immigration:
      Democrats running for President:
    Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
    V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
    Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
    Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
    Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
    Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
    Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
    Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
    Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
    Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
    Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
    Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
    Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
    CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
    Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
    Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
    CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

    2020 Third Party Candidates:
    Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
    CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
    Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
    Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
    Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
    Howard Schultz(I-WA)
    Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN)     		Republicans running for President:
    Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
    Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
    Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
    V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
    Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
    Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
    Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
    Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

    2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
    Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
    Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
    Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
    Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
    Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
    Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
    Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
    Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
    Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
    Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
    Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
    Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
    Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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    Page last updated: Jan 18, 2020