One of the key pillars of President Trump's immigration plan is that immigration to this country should be merit-based. We already take in tens of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers every year. But legal immigrants, people who want to become legal permanent residents and even citizens one day, should be chosen on merit. Right now, 65% of all legal immigration is family-based.
Yes, that means they should have skills and expertise that will help the United States and its economy. But it also means that the immigrants who want to become permanent residents should be able to take care of themselves.
This week, the Trump administration did something truly common-sense: They began enforcing a 137-year-old law that requires green card applicants to be able to take care of themselves.
This is a big deal. All the way back in 1882, Congress passed a law forbidding immigrants from settling in the United States if they are "likely at any time to become a public charge." Congress never defined what a "public charge" is, so the enforcement of this law has evolved over the years. The Clinton administration interpreted this term to mean that people that are "primarily dependent on the government for subsistence." But under this weak interpretation, very few green card applicants were ever turned away.
The Trump administration is reinterpreting this statute to make sure that the original intent is followed. The Department of Homeland Security will now fully vet immigrant applications to make sure that applicants are "not likely at any time to become a public charge." That means they will look at whether immigrants can afford to feed and house their family and whether they actually have a job or job prospects.
Democrats immediately decried the Trump administrations rule change. They called him a "racist" because he dared enforce a 137-year-old immigration law that the Clinton administration decided to start ignoring...
But it wasn't just Democrats who lashed out at the President. Republicans are also starting to push back against the President.
Why? One simple word: amnesty. We already know that GOPers like Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Lindsey Graham, and Mitt Romney are working with Democrats on an amnesty bill. Their plan would give green cards and a pathway to citizenship to millions of illegal aliens in this country. Over the past few months, we have focused on just how radical this legislation is. The American Dream and Promise Act -- as written -- would actually give amnesty to illegal alien convicted criminals. These are illegals who have committed other crimes. The bill would allow illegals to commit up to four misdemeanors, and spend up to four years in prison, before they would become ineligible for amnesty...
Republicans are desperately trying to stop Trump because if his "public charge" regulation goes into effect, then their amnesty bill is dead in the water!
When the Founders designed the Legislative Branch, they deliberately made it hard for legislation to pass in the Senate. The Senate is supposed to be the "deliberative body," so bills require 60 votes in order to pass.
But that only applies to bills and nominations. The Congressional Review Act allows Congress to repeal a Federal regulation with just a simple majority: 218 votes in the House and 51 in the Senate. Since Republicans only hold 53 seats in the Senate, that means that it only takes 4 Republicans to flip and Trump's order is dead.
Since 1996, Congress has used the CRA to repeal Federal regulations seventeen times. Of those, sixteen of the repeals have been under the Trump administration...
The Congressional Review Act process has already started. The Trump administration has published the regulation in the Federal Register and Congress now has 60 days to repeal it. And Democrats are promising to do just that.
But it isn't a sure thing. Even in the House, dozens of Democrats are up for re-election in districts that Trump won. The last thing they want to do is vote on immigration.
In order for the Left to block this executive action, they are going to need Republicans to flip and vote with them.
This is one of the most important fights that we will have this year. If Trump's regulation goes through, and he is allowed to enforce this 1886 law, then the Establishment's amnesty plan is dead.
Democrats only need to flip a few Republicans in the House and the Senate. They are so-close to shutting this down. The media isn't going to cover this. Most Americans won't even know this is happening.
But now you know, and with that knowledge comes a responsibility to fight back!
This is a chance to fight back and kill the amnesty push.
But the clock is already ticking...
Trump is doing exactly what he promised. He is cracking down on welfare fraud, tightening up our immigration system, and destroying the Left's amnesty push all at once.
But if even just a handful of Republican cowards flip, it is all over.
You can still stop this. You can hold Congress' feet to the fire and stop this cave from happening.
But you need to get loud and nip this in the bud right now!
Your brother in arms,
Joe Otto
Conservative Daily
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