Mediaboss Marketing

After the unveiling of the Trump administration's latest agenda-setting direction on immigration reform, Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina says the country needs a "hybrid" policy that reflects America's economy and family needs instead.

"I want to make sure that folks have an opportunity to assimilate to what it means to be an American and so what we should look for are hybrids where we meet our economic needs and at the same time allow for family cohesion to be what it always has been, which is the anchor of the American society," Scott said on "CBS This Morning" Thursday.

24 Photos

In 2015, about 25 million foreign-born workers were part of the U.S. labor force. What fields did they flock to?

The RAISE act, which Mr. Trump threw his support behindat a press event Wednesday with the bill's sponsors, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, and Sen. David Perdue, R-Georgia, would establish a "points-based system for acquiring a green card," according to Mr. Trump. It would reduce the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country while also preventing immigrants from collecting welfare once they arrive in the United States.

The bill aims to make the U.S. immigration system more competitive through rewarding immigrants who speak English, have financial stability and demonstrate useful skills, among other factors.

It would also end "chain migration" in the green card application process by only extending to immediate family, such as minor children and spouses. Finally, the legislation would limit the number of refugees permitted to enter the country and eliminate the visa lottery, which makes 55,000 Permanent Resident cards available every year to immigrants from "underrepresented countries," according to the Department of Labor.

"The problems within our legal immigration system isn't the number," Scott said. "If there's needs for reforms, we should reform the systems that need to be reformed, but the reality of it is it has less to do with the number and more to do with reforms and in South Carolina there's a lot of jobs that go unfilled because we can't the workers to do those jobs."

While Scott called the use of a merit-based system of entry for immigrants a "good idea" successfully implemented by other countries like Canada and Australia, he said the crucial step is to help fill the "largest holes in the our economy."

Scott said sectors like STEM (science, technology engineering and math) and agriculture are two areas where workers are desperately needed.

Scott's comments come after his South Carolina Republican colleague, Sen. Lindsey Graham, said that if the RAISE proposal becomes law, it would be "devastating to South Carolina's economy, which relies on the immigrant workforce." Graham said it would cut the immigration population in half for those who work legally in areas like agriculture, tourism and service industries.

Scott says it's certainly possible to have both a merit-based program and one that allows for "family cohesion" to continue.

"I'm a big proponent for us to sit down at the table, figure out which way is up, because right now we have a lot of issues we haven't figured that out on, and if we can figure that out, head in that direction. So for me, up is more workers who meet the high demands that we have within our economy. We need to match the folks coming into the country with the jobs that we need."

He added, however, that legal immigration has not been the main priority for lawmakers as of late.

"There's nothing wrong with making sure that we create access for family members who are already here as long as we do it right, and the legal immigration system has not been the focus, nor has it been the problem for us for the last several years."

2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

See more here:
Sen. Tim Scott calls for "hybrid" system of immigration reform - CBS ... - CBS News

The ups and downs of the relationship between President Donald Trump and Pope Francis have been well-documented.

From the pope suggesting that Trumps proposal to build a border wall between the United States and Mexico was not Christian to Francis welcoming the president and his family to the Vatican in May, the pair have had an interesting relationship.

But the Catholic Church appears to be taking a harder stance on the Trump administration. U.S. bishops have criticized proposed immigration legislation backed by Trump as discriminatory and urged Congress and the president to reject it.

Daily Emails and Alerts - Get the best of Newsweek delivered to your inbox

Pope Francis walks along with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump during a private audience at the Vatican on May 24. ALESSANDRA TARANTINO/AFP/Getty

The head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Migration, Bishop Joe Vasquez of Austin, Texas, criticized the RAISE Act introduced by two Republican senators on Thursday, the Catholic Herald reported.

Related: Weve got the White House on speed dial. How evangelicals are influencing Trump

The proposed legislationthe full name of which is the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Actwould cut immigration by 41 percent in its first year and by 50 percent over a 10-year-period, The Guardian reported.

At a White House unveiling of the proposal on Wednesday, Trump said that the bill represented the most significant reform to our immigration system in a half century. The president also said it would create a merit-based immigration system that protects American workers and taxpayers.

U.S. President Donald Trump, pictured with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), makes an announcement on the introduction of the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, DC, on August 2. Zach Gibson - Pool/Getty

The bill is being co-sponsored by two Republican senators, Tom Cotton and David Perdue, and would prioritize immigrants who can speak English or are well-educated. The bill would also permanently cap the number of refugees allowed safe passage.

But the church took a different view. Had this discriminatory legislation been in place generations ago, many of the very people who built and defended this nation would have been excluded, said Vasquez, according to the Catholic Herald.

Vasquez added that the bill would negatively impact families and undermined the contribution of immigrants to the United States. The bishop called upon Congress and the Trump administration to work together in a bipartisan fashion to enact into law comprehensive immigration reform.

Catholics marginally backed Trump in the November 2016 election. Fifty-two percent of Catholics voted for the Republican candidate over 45 percent who voted for his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, according to a Pew Research Center poll, although two-thirds of Hispanic Catholics backed Clinton. The Catholic archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, read from the Bible at the inauguration of President Trump on January 20.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan delivers remarks at the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 20. Alex Wong/Getty

Trump said that it was the honor of a lifetime to meet Francis after his visit to the Vatican in May, appearing to smooth over their previous public disagreements.

But in a recent development, two close associates of the pope wrote a stinging criticism of conservative American Catholics for creating an alliance of hate with U.S. evangelicals to support President Trump.

The article was published in La Civilta Cattolica, a Vatican-vetted journal, though it is not clear whether the pope approved of the content. In it, the authorsAntonio Spadaro, a Jesuit journalist who has interviewed the pope, and Marcelo Figueroa, an Argentine friend of Francissaid that the worldview of hardline U.S. Catholics, based on a literal interpretation of the Bible, was not too far apart from fundamentalist jihadis. The authors also singled out Steve Bannon, Trumps chief strategist, as a supporter of an apocalyptic geopolitics.

At around 22 percent, Catholics make up the single largest religious group in the United States, and so the Trump administration will not want to disenfranchise them. But elements in the U.S. Catholic leadership have made it clear they intend to call out the presidents policies when they see fit.

Continue reading here:
Is the Catholic Church Turning On Trump? US Bishops Slam Immigration Proposals as 'Discriminatory' - Newsweek

President Donald Trump is supporting immigration reform that would cut legal immigration into the US in half. The president says it's a plan that will protect American workers. Opponents say slashing immigration would hurt industries like agriculture and

Lauren Bale, WWLTV 10:22 PM. CDT August 03, 2017

NEW ORLEANS -- President Donald Trump is supporting immigration reform that would cut legal immigration into the US in half.

The president says it's a plan that will protect American workers. Opponents say slashing immigration would hurt industries like agriculture and harm the economy. Local workers and small business owners in Louisiana weighed in on the issue.

Casa Borrega on Oretha Castle Haley is Hugo Montero's American dream.

"Wake up early, go to work, work the whole day to create a better future," Montero said.

Montero came to the United States from Mexico 30-years ago. He opened Casa Borrega after years of hard work. He thinks everyone should be given that same chance.

"The essence, the spirit, the soul of the United States is a land of immigrants. It's a great land created by immigrants," Montero said.

MORE:Trump joins GOP senators on immigration changes

The bill carrying the President's support would cut legal immigration to the US in half and give preference to immigrants who speak English, have financial stability and "useful skills." Fishermen in Westwego say that would leave many in the seafood industry without extra help.

"It will knock out a good bit of people, if some of those people had to go," Fisherman Camille Bourgeois said.

Bourgeois fishes for Jonathan's Seafood. He say anyone should be allowed into the US legally.

"I'm all for the American dream, I really am," Bourgeois said. "100 percent no matter where you come from or who you are."

However, he still thinks US citizens should be given preference over newer immigrants.

"Give a citizen a chance to pay his bills and feed his family first," Bourgeois said.

Back at Casa Borrega, Montero argues that the proposed bill goes against the principals the US was founded on.

"To deny the entry to people who want to work hard, who want to do better in life, I think it's just cruel," Montero said.

As the immigration debate plays out, Montero is feeling lucky he was given the chance to come to the US and start a new life.

"Every day I'm grateful," Montero said.

The proposal will have to go through the legislative process on Capitol Hill, where the bill is largely opposed by both republicans and democrats.

2017 WWL-TV

Link:
President-backed immigration reforms could spell trouble for local businesses - WWL

The Trump administration touted a more limited, merit-based immigration system yesterday, but faced backlash from a CNN reporter who began reading the poem from the Statue of Liberty during the White House press briefing and later denounced parts of the plan as a dog whistle.

President Trump joined Republican U.S. Sens. David Perdue of Georgia and Tom Cotton of Arkansas to push what he called the most significant reform to our immigration system in half a century.

The proposal would favor those who can speak English and financially support themselves and offer skills that would contribute to the economy.

This legislation demonstrates our compassion for struggling American families who deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first and puts America first, Trump said.

At the White House press briefing, senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller claimed roughly half of immigrant-headed households receive some type of welfare. He added that the proposed changes would also stop unfettered chain migration, whereby a green cardholder can bring in an elderly relative who can immediately go on public assistance and can in turn also bring in a relative themselves.

Miller also claimed a merit-based system would protect U.S. workers and fulfill a campaign pledge Trump made on the trail.

But CNNs White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, who has been dismissed before by Trump as fake news, appeared to blur the line between objective journalist and full-on activist by blasting the policy in an uncomfortable exchange with Miller.

What the president is proposing here does not sound like its in keeping with American tradition when it comes to immigration, Acosta told Miller.

The Statue of Liberty says, Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, Acosta said. It doesnt say anything about speaking English or being able to be a computer programmer.

He was referring to the The New Colossus, written by poet Emma Lazarus, which, while frequently quoted to illustrate Americas openness, does not actually govern U.S. immigration policy.

Theyre not always going to speak English, Stephen, Acosta went on. Theyre not always going to be highly skilled. Theyre not always going to be somebody who can go to work at Silicon Valley right away.

Jim, I appreciate your speech, Miller responded.

In what resembled a self-manufactured controversy, CNN repeatedly replayed the exchange between Miller and its own Acosta with a banner below the screen blaring, New plan to slash legal immigration sparks fierce debate. The cable channel then brought in a panel of experts to react to the back-and-forth.

The drama seemed to bolster critics who have argued that televising the White House press briefings has only led to more grandstanding reporters hoping to make themselves the news and build their own star power.

The Acosta-Miller exchange sent the rest of the media into a tizzy.

Trump aide#Stephen Miller lecturing Cuban-American Jim Acosta of CNN on green card policy which his family lived 1st hand#Rude, tweeted Andrea Mitchell of NBC News.

MILLER TRASHES ICONIC STATUE OF LIBERTY POEM, screamed the lead headline of the Huffington Post.

Meanwhile, Trump also signed a Russian sanctions bill yesterday, even as he claimed it is seriously flawed. The bill had overwhelmingly been passed by Congress, which would have easily been able to override a Trump veto.

Herald wire services contributed to the report.

Read this article:
Prez adviser, CNN reporter spar over immigration reform - Boston Herald

Aug 2nd, 2017 1 min read

Today, the White House, along with Sens. Tom Cotton and DavidPerdue, unveiled the RAISE Act, a measure focused on reforming the legal immigration system in the United States. Dr. James Carafano, a vice president at The Heritage Foundation who has worked on border and immigration policies for many years, released the following statement in response to the unveiling of the legislation:

Legal immigration reform has been off Washingtons to-do list far too long. Heritage has long argued for legal immigration policies designed to serve America in the 21st century, not those tailored to past decades. We have long favored ending blanket chain-migration, and replacing it with a rational, skills based-migration system. We have looked at the lessons from the Canadian and Australian models for reform to see what might best serve the United States immigration system. The RAISE Act seeks to reduce low skill immigration which is very costly to U.S. taxpayers, while promoting a modernized, skills-based migration system that makes sense for all Americans. We look forward to Congress taking this issue seriously, rolling up its sleeves and delivering legislation that establishes a legal immigration system designed for the demands of the 21st century.

See the rest here:
Heritage Statement on Legal Immigration Reform - Heritage.org