Amnesty for 1.8 Million: White House Releases Immigration Plan

The White House released its plan on Thursday night to provide amnesty to 1.8 million illegal immigrants, including around 700,000 current recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

White House Chief of Staff Gen. John Kelly stayed behind to work on the plan as Trump went to Davos. Senior advisor Stephen Miller presented the plan to Republicans on Thursday over a conference call.

See the full framework released by the White House below:

Border Security

Securing the Southern and Northern border of the United States takes a combination of physical infrastructure, technology, personnel, resources, authorities, and the ability to close legal loopholes that are exploited by smugglers, traffickers, cartels, criminals and terrorists.

The Department of Homeland Security must have the tools to deter illegal immigration; the ability to remove individuals who illegally enter the United States; and the vital authorities necessary to protect national security.

These measures below are the minimum tools necessary to mitigate the rapidly growing surge of illegal immigration.

• $25 billion trust fund for the border wall system, ports of entry/exit, and northern border improvements and enhancements.
• Close crippling personnel deficiencies by appropriating additional funds to hire new DHS personnel, ICE attorneys, immigration judges, prosecutors and other law enforcement professionals.
• Hiring and pay reforms to ensure the recruitment and retention of critically-needed personnel.
• Deter illegal entry by ending dangerous statutorily-imposed catch-and-release and by closing legal loopholes that have eroded our ability to secure the immigration system and protect public safety.
• Ensure the detention and removal of criminal aliens, gang members, violent offenders, and aggravated felons.
• Ensure the prompt removal of illegal border-crossers regardless of country of origin.
• Deter visa overstays with efficient removal.
• Ensure synthetic drugs (fentanyl) are prevented from entering the country.
• Institute immigration court reforms to improve efficiency and prevent fraud and abuse.

DACA Legalization

Provide legal status for DACA recipients and other DACA-eligible illegal immigrants, adjusting the time-frame to encompass a total population of approximately 1.8 million individuals.

• 10-12 year path to citizenship, with requirements for work, education, and good moral character.
• Clear eligibility requirements to mitigate fraud.
• Status is subject to revocation for criminal conduct or public safety and national security concerns, public charge, fraud, etc.

Protect the Nuclear Family

Protect the nuclear family by emphasizing close familial relationships.

• Promote nuclear family migration by limiting family sponsorships to spouses and minor children only (for both Citizens and LPRs), ending extended-family chain migration.
• Apply these changes prospectively, not retroactively, by processing the “backlog.”

Eliminate Lottery and Repurpose Visas

The Visa Lottery selects individuals at random to come to the United States without consideration of skills, merit or public safety.

• This program is riddled with fraud and abuse and does not serve the national interest.
• Eliminate lottery and reallocate the visas to reduce the family-based “backlog” and high-skilled employment “backlog.”

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