Democrats reacted with boos and hisses to a statement by President Trump on “chain migration” at his State of the Union address.
Presenting his immigration plan, Trump asked for a reform of the family reunification visa program, which he and some Republicans call chain migration.
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“Under the current broken system, a single immigrant can bring in virtually unlimited numbers of distant relatives,” said Trump, prompting the audible Democratic reaction that could be heard loud and clear on television.
Trump did not appear to react to the boos and hisses.
Democrats had mostly remained quiet for the first hour of the speech, limiting their reactions to sporadic applause.
Family reunification visas do not allow immigrants or U.S. citizens to bring in distant relatives, only to sponsor parents, unmarried children and siblings. In certain cases, sibling sponsorships can take decades to go from application to migration.
Democrats took to Twitter to criticize the remarks.
“.@realDonaldTrump blatant lies about Family Reunification and Visa lottery. He has zero understanding how this works,” tweeted Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) from the House floor.
Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus said Democrats booed Trump “Because it’s not true. A single immigrant cannot bring in an unlimited amount of family members. There are no visas for aunts/uncles/cousins/grandparents. And some need to wait decades to reunite with one family member. ONE family member. #SOTU”
Trump and Republican proponents of reduced legal immigration have targeted reform of family reunification as a pillar of their proposal for a legislative Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals fix.
“Under our plan, we focus on the immediate family by limiting sponsorships to spouses and minor children. This vital reform is necessary, not just for our economy, but for our security, and our future,” said Trump.
A joint analysis by David Bier, an immigration policy analyst at the Cato Institute, and Stuart Anderson, executive director of the National Foundation for American Policy, found that the White House proposal would reduce legal immigration by 22 million people over five decades.
Under the plan, family-based immigration would be cut for adult children, parents and siblings of citizens and permanent residents, while reducing the number of minor children allowed to be sponsored by citizens, according to the report.