In his first major address to the US Congress since taking office, US President Donald Trump laid out plans for the adoption of an Australian-style immigration plan that would “save countless dollars [and] raise wages”.
Mr Trump said that the adoption of the merit-based system would benefit struggling families by making millions more jobs available to working Americans.
“Nations around the world like Canada, Australia and many others have merit-based immigration systems. It’s a basic principle that those seeking to enter a country ought to be able to support themselves financially,” said Mr Trump. His announcement was met with great acclaim from the Republican majority in both chambers of the US Congress.”Yet we in America do not enforce this rule, straining the very public resources that our poorest citizens rely upon,” Trump continued.
This is a reminder of Mr Trump’s hardline immigration ambitions, which have been among the core principles of his Presidency since it’s infancy.
Trump also reiterated his desire to build a wall along the US-Mexican border. This policy became synonymous with his Presidential campaign. Building the wall, he claimed, would work as a countermeasure against the rife social problems in America.
“We will soon begin the construction of a great wall along our southern border. It will be started ahead of schedule and, when finished, it will be a very effective weapon against drugs and crime,” President Trump said.”We must restore integrity and the rule of law to our borders.”
He drove home his point by paying tribute to the families of three men who were killed by two different illegal immigrants with prior criminal convictions and deportations.
“I want you to know – we will never stop fighting for justice.”
How Trump will implement these immigration changes, or if he is able to do so, remains to be seen.
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