Donald Trump is out with a new position paper on immigration, IMMIGRATION REFORM THAT WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. It is a mix of a few sound proposals mixed with many other positions that are pure madness. What they all have in common is a nationalistic perspective where Trump is the top nationalist.
The paper is written as though the benefits of free trade and the theory of comparative advantage had never been discovered.
I will have a full analysis later, for now here are some of the details.
If Mexico doesn't agree to pay for a wall between the US and Mexico,Trump in the policy paper calls for increasing a multitude of fees, including those on temporary visas issued to Mexican CEOs and diplomats, border crossing cards and NAFTA worker visas from Mexico. He also proposes increases in fees at ports of entry at the Mexican - United States border.
He also calls for the deportation of all undocumented immigrants and said that new tariffs should be considered.
Trump also said in the paper that he would triple the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
The paper also calls for raising the prevailing wage paid to H-1Bs which according to the paper "will force companies to give these coveted entry-level jobs to the existing domestic pool of unemployed native and immigrant workers in the U.S., instead of flying in cheaper workers from overseas."
The paper also calls for nationwide e-verify.
-RW
If this is going to happen, instead of the wall, why not close a bunch of military bases abroad, decommission half the troops and place the rest at certain intervals along the border? Seems cheaper and more efficient than a giant wall.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how even the most ardent 'they are taking our jobs' type will always preserve the H1-B visa program. Is it jealousy of the creativity of engineers? Is it because many engineers paid their full value would get paid in the seven figures and it's just plain greed? Is it because it doesn't require a physical monument to an end to? Is it because it doesn't need to have expanded monitoring and enforcement if ended? Whatever the cause the H1B visa program is certainly special.
ReplyDeleteIn what way is the proposal anti free-trade? It proposes the treat of retaliatory tariffs as leverage to get tariffs against the US cut. Makes sense.
ReplyDeleteAnother of Trump's immigration points - ending birthright citizenship... which many have advocated for a very long time now to help end the anchor baby problem.
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