President Trump just proposed the most pro-immigrant, pro-America immigration plan in history

President Donald J. Trump addressed Americans from the White House Rose Garden this afternoon, unveiling his Administration’s plan to create a fair, modern, and lawful system of immigration for the United States of America.

Watch: The first real overhaul of America’s entry system in 50 years

The President’s plan, once adopted by Congress, would achieve two crucial goals. First, it will stop illegal immigration for good by fully securing our border. Second, it establishes a new legal immigration system that will protect American wages, promote American values, and attract the best and brightest talent from across the globe.

“This plan was not developed by the politicians,” President Trump said. “It was designed with significant input from our great law enforcement professionals.”

Here is a rundown of the most important proposals from the President’s speech:

Create a permanent, self-sustaining border security trust fund for law enforcement, financed with fees collected at the border crossings themselves
Restore integrity to America’s broken asylum process by expediting relief for legitimate asylum seekers—and sending those who abuse the system home
Modernize the dysfunctional legal immigration process by increasing the number of legal immigrants selected based on skill or merit from 12 percent to 57 percent
Prioritize the immediate family of new immigrants—spouses and children—by moving them to the front of the line over distant relatives who use family claims as a tool to get ahead in the queue
Establish a standard, universal, points-based criteria for admission to the United States, no matter where you are born or who you are related to

The big idea in President Trump’s plan is that “pro-America” and “pro-immigrant” are synonyms, not opposites. Illegal immigration hurts everyone. A random, unfair entry process hurts everyone. And underfunded law enforcement hurts everyone.

The only ones opposed to a safer, stronger immigration system are the special interests profiting off the status quo. That includes everyone from the corporations who exploit cheap, illegal labor to the politicians who benefit from never resolving the issue.

“Many of the Democrats have claimed to be for these concepts at different times in their careers and, in many cases, in very recent history,” President Trump said today. “And I hope that they will end up joining me and all of the people gathered together today in putting politics aside, putting security and wages first, and pursuing these historic reforms. It’s time.”

Watch President Trump’s full speech on today’s immigration plan.

The transcript: Read the President’s full remarks from the Rose Garden

Pledge to America’s Workers grows by another million

During a visit from Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump to Salesforce Tower in Indianapolis this morning, the software giant pledged to join the White House’s initiative to reskill the American workforce. But in a surprise move, Salesforce.com INC Co-CEO Marc Benioff doubled his company’s original commitment, pledging to provide new skills training for 1 million of our country’s workers.

“Salesforce is proud to sign the Pledge to America’s Workers and help people of every background learn the skills they need to find their place in the digital economy,” he said.

In today’s booming but rapidly changing economy, skills training is becoming indispensable. No American should be left behind in the process. More than 200 companies have signed on to President Trump’s Pledge to America’s Workers so far, and with today’s pledge, more than 8.9 million training opportunities have been promised.

“We must aim for inclusive growth by creating pathways for all Americans to get the tools and skills they need for rewarding careers,” Ivanka Trump said.

Watch Ivanka Trump discuss workforce training at Salesforce Tower.

See the Pledge: 8.9 million opportunities—and climbing!

Photo of the Day

Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks in the Rose Garden at the unveiling of his new plan to modernize America's immigration system | May 16, 2019