Republican pollster B.J. Martino speculated Tuesday that President Trump’s most recent immigration proposal is more of a political move than an actual policy plan.
“This as a legislative proposal is DOA. There’s not going to be an immigration bill passed that contains all of these items out of the house and through the senate. What this is is a campaign presentation to voters. Particularly to those independents and better-educated.” Martino, who serves as Senior Vice President for The Tarrance Group, told host Jamal Simmons on Hill.TV’s “What America’s Thinking.”
Martino added that those with higher education and income, particularly those in the suburbs that voted against Republicans in 2018, are the primary targets for this proposal, pointing to a new Hill-HarrisX poll which showed that the public wants more emphasis on merit-based immigration.
“This is the beginning of the campaign 2020 in terms of the president’s issues that he’s presenting within a campaign setting and less so about what’s actually gonna get passed in congress.” he said.
The immigration plan, which Trump announced on May 16th, outlines a shift from the current family-based immigration system to a merit-based one. Currently, 12 percent of immigrants coming to the U.S. are admitted based on their ability to retain a job. The President’s plan would aim to increase this number to 60 percent. Created by Jared Kushner and Steven Miller, the proposal would prioritize immigrants with job skills valuable to the American economy, as well as those with higher education and who can speak English.
—Alec D’Angelo
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