WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th May, 2019) Democratic lawmakers in US Congress have indicated that President Donald Trump's new merit-based immigration plan has no chance of becoming law.
"There is no question that reform is necessary, but this proposal is wrong in so many ways," US Senator Richard Blumenthal said in a Twitter statement on Thursday. "This sham proposal is dead on arrival."
The senator explained that Trump's immigration plan failed to address the humanitarian crisis on the US-Mexican border and did nothing for the so-called Dreamers, illegal aliens brought to the country as children.
In separate statements, US Senator Cortez Masto and Congressman Ruben Gallego echoed the sentiment and said that Trump's immigration proposal had little chances of passage.
US Congressman Jimmy Gomez said in a statement that Democrats in the House of Representatives will make sure Trump's proposal does not become law.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump rolled out new immigration plan which would increase the proportion of high-skilled immigrants allowed entry into the United States from 12 percent to 57 percent. It would also introduce a "Build America" visa system to replace the existing permanent residence - or green card - categories.
The proposal would also require immigrants to learn English and pass a civics examination prior to being admitted into the United States.
Trump noted that if his proposal does not pass in Congress, his administration will wait until after the 2020 presidential election to approve the plan.
