President Trump’s support for a bill that would basically convert the nation’s legal immigration system into one that awards green cards based on job skills, English speaking ability and merit is wrongheaded and laden with hypocrisy.
The bill, sponsored by Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia, is devoid of compassion and reads like the foundation of an immigration meritocracy. Besides that, the proposed legislation actually runs counter to Trump’s supposed mantra that supports an economy and programs assuring Americans get first dibs on the “good paying jobs” of the future.
If the president’s true goal was to “restore our competitive edge in the 21st century,” as he said when he threw his support behind this bill that cuts immigration numbers in half, he would instead be pouring energy and resources into existing institutions and organizations that retrain unemployed laborers who may not have the skill set for a lot of the emerging new economy opportunities.
If this president were serious about creating a stronger, smarter American job force as he’s said before, he and his Department of Education would be vigorously funding programs that train and recruit young people, starting in high school, into science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM fields—sectors where job growth is expected to be highest—not cutting funds.
What good comes from supporting legislation that seeks to snuff out the powerful beacon of hope this nation has offered to so many of the world’s downtrodden, who arrive here with raw ambition and determination, most of them simply seeking a better life? Nothing, just further confirmation of President Trump and a number of Republican leader’s xenophobic tendencies.
