President Donald Trump's merit-based immigration proposal has been ripped by resistant Democrats as "dead on arrival," but it might merely have been designed to unite Republicans against Democrats for 2020 anyway, according to The Hill.
"We all know you're not going to pass this without dealing with the other aspects of immigration but . . . getting the party united behind a merit-based immigration proposal and border security is a significant step," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told The Hill.
"The White House's plan is not designed to become law. . . . The White House plan is trying to unite the Republican Party."
As Politico Playbook reported, Republicans did not get any immigration reform plan on paper until the White House sent out fact sheets after 8 p.m. ET on Thursday night, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's, R-Ky., statement was "strikingly non-committal."
"We are a nation of immigrants and we must preserve that rich part of who we are," Sen. McConnell stated, per Politico. "But we are a nation of laws. There is a crisis at our southern border, and I hope Democrats get serious soon about working with us to secure our borders and restore the rule of law to our nation, which includes reforming out-of-date legal authorities. I look forward to reviewing the president's proposal."
The White House plan orchestrated by senior adviser Jared Kushner seeks to take the lead on immigration reform amid inaction in Congress and a national emergency on the southern border. The announced plan gives preference to skilled labor over chain migration.
"This sham proposal is dead on arrival," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said, per The Hill. "It is a mockery of what America means."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., ripped the proposal as a "political document," an "insult," and "anti-immigration reform," while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., ridiculed the basis of it as "'merit,' which is non-merit. It means merit in eyes of Donald Trump."
"I can't imagine Democrats are going to let us pass an immigration bill," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told The Hill. "But my hope is that at least they'll allow us to do a targeted bill that deals with the current crisis.
". . . I think [Democrats] like the issue more than they want a solution, frankly."
None of that will keep President Trump from pushing forward on what has long been a promise of his presidency.
"And if for some reason, and possibly political, we can't get the Democrats to approve this merit-based, high-security plan, then we will get it approved immediately after the election, when we take back the House, keep the Senate, and of course hold the presidency," President Trump said during his announcement of the plan Thursday.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. – regardless of senators' mere play of "a great political issue for their political base" – called for Leader McConnell to bring an immigration reform bill to a Senate vote.
"I would like to see the majority leader put an immigration bill on the floor . . . let us offer amendments, let us deliberate and let us vote," Kennedy said, per The Hill.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.