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Tags: sarah sanders | lindsey graham | merit

Sarah Sanders: Trump's Immigration Plan Focuses on Merit-Based System

By    |   Thursday, 16 May 2019 10:33 AM EDT

President Donald Trump's immigration plan won't hinder Sen. Lindsey Graham's, but will complement it, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday.

"The legislation that Sen. Graham is putting forward, focusing mostly on closing the short-term problem, fixing the loopholes we need to do right now," Sanders told Fox News' "Fox and Friends."

"The president's plan that he is going to talk about later this afternoon is more of a long-term thing, looking at modernizing and updating our entire immigration system, simplify for people coming to the country legally."

The immigration system must be brought up to speed while making sure that the border is protected and "bringing people in that can contribute to our society," said Sanders.

She added that there is nothing in Trump's plan that should make Democrats object to it.

"We want to move to the merit-based system," Sanders said. "Democrats right now, unless they get on board with this, the only thing they have said they want is open borders...I think it would be wonderful to watch them get on board with something that helps secure our border."

Trump, she added, wants people to come into the United States, but they must come in legally and "be prepared and ready easily to assimilate into our workforce and help America grow and contribute to it."

Sanders also denied reports that there is friction in the Trump administration over his actions toward Iran and said Trump is the "one decision maker"  as the person elected president.

"He is going to take in the information and guidance from all of his national security team," said Sanders. "He then will make a decision on what he thinks is the best and safest thing for the American people. It is very simple."

Sandy Fitzgerald

Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics. 

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


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President Donald Trump's immigration plan won't hinder Sen. Lindsey Graham's, but will complement it, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday.
sarah sanders, lindsey graham, merit
292
2019-33-16
Thursday, 16 May 2019 10:33 AM
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