Periodically I have gotten into arguments with Trump supporters about his racist attacks on foreigners. The Trump supporters often claim that the Trump Administration is only targeting the undocumented, not people here legally. ("It's just about the illegals! Obey the law and there won't be a problem!"). It you pay any attention, that is complete horseshit. Here is my list of Trump's immigration proposals or actions that target people legally in the country:
The "Muslim ban" in all its various forms barred or attempted to bar legal immigrants to the U.S.
The proposal to eliminate the diversity visa (i.e. "the visa lottery") is a proposal to end a form of legal immigration.
The reduction of the number of refugees allowed to be admitted to the U.S. is a restriction on legal immigration. [9/18/18: Adding better link when final cap was decided]
The end of the program allowing children fleeing violence in Central America to settle in the U.S. is a restriction on legal immigration.
The end of temporary protected status for Hondurans, Nepalis, Salvadorans, and Haitians were all restrictions on people who had been legally admitted into the U.S.
The proposal to restrict visas for family reunification (what Trump calls "chain migration") is a restriction on legal immigration.
The directive that fleeing gang violence or domestic violence are no longer grounds for asylum is a restriction on legal immigration.
The policy of refusing entry to people trying to claim asylum at the border, which is a legal avenue for entry to the U.S., is a restriction on legal immigration.
The policy of refusing entry to people trying to claim asylum at the border, which is a legal avenue for entry to the U.S., is a restriction on legal immigration.
The policy of charging people who present themselves to immigration authorities with the misdemeanor of crossing at a place that is not an official border crossing and then deporting them (often after stealing their children) targets people using a process to enter the U.S. legally.
The reduction in the number of H1-B visas is a restriction on legal immigration.
Trump's Denaturalization Task Force, which seeks to take citizenship away from U.S. citizens and then to deport them is a restriction on legal immigration (and targets not just legal aliens, but U.S. Citizens)
The decision to deny U.S. passports to people with Hispanic surnames who live near the border is a restriction on people lawfully in the U.S. (and again, targets U.S. citizens)
I didn't list DACA because people argue over its legality. But if you believe (as I do) that DACA was a lawful use of executive authority, add the phasing out of DACA to the list as well.
Did I miss anything else?
ADDING (9/12/2018): Giving U.S. Immigration officials the authority to deny a visa for minor errors or omissions, without allowing the applicant the chance to correct the problem, is a restriction on people trying to lawfully enter the U.S.
ADDING (9/23/2018): Restricting the award of green cards to people who have used public assistance program is a restriction on legal immigrants.
ADDING (10/2/2018): Denying visas to same-sex partners of diplomats and UN employees is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (11/9/2018): Refusing to process asylum petitions for people who did not cross at an official border crossing is a restriction on a legal form of immigration.
ADDING (12/12/2018): Seeking to deport Vietnamese who arrived as refugees in the U.S. before the U.S. established diplomatic relations with reunified Vietnam is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (12/13/2018): Increasing the deportation of Cambodians who were lawfully admitted as refugees is a penalty imposed on legal immigrants.
ADDING (3/12/2019): Proposing to hike fees for legal immigrants is a proposed restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (3/12/2019): Closing 20 overseas offices whose purpose is to assist people applying to immigrate to the U.S. is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (4/17/2019): Withholding bail from asylum seekers (i.e. forcing the imprisonment of people who pursue a legal avenue to emigrate to the U.S.) is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (4/30/2019): Imposing new fees on asylum applications and imposing an 180-day limit on adjudicating asylum applications is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (8/29/2019): Ending automatic citizenship for the children of members of the military or other people working for the federal government abroad is a restriction on legal U.S. Citizens.
ADDING (10/5/2019): Denying visa applications for immigrants who lack health insurance is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (10/26/2019): Restricting the waiver of fees for citizenship applications for immigrants to have been on public assistance is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (11/11/2019): Increasing the fees on citizenship applications and imposing, for the first time, fees on asylum applications is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (1/27/2020): Vastly expanding the definition of "public charge" to prevent immigrants from receiving visas or green cards is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (2/2/2020): Extending the travel ban to six more countries is a restriction only on legal immigration.
ADDING (2/27/20): Creating an office to take away the citizenship of people who have naturalized is an effort to remove legal immigrants from the U.S.
ADDING (4/21/2020): Suspending the issuance of permanent residency (green cards) is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (5/8/2020): Suspending protection and expelling asylum-seeking children is a restriction on legal immigration (asylum is a legal path to immigrate to the U.S.)
ADDING (5/15/2020): Suspending OTP is suspension of a form of legal immigration.
ADDING (9/23/2018): Restricting the award of green cards to people who have used public assistance program is a restriction on legal immigrants.
ADDING (10/2/2018): Denying visas to same-sex partners of diplomats and UN employees is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (11/9/2018): Refusing to process asylum petitions for people who did not cross at an official border crossing is a restriction on a legal form of immigration.
ADDING (12/12/2018): Seeking to deport Vietnamese who arrived as refugees in the U.S. before the U.S. established diplomatic relations with reunified Vietnam is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (12/13/2018): Increasing the deportation of Cambodians who were lawfully admitted as refugees is a penalty imposed on legal immigrants.
ADDING (3/12/2019): Proposing to hike fees for legal immigrants is a proposed restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (3/12/2019): Closing 20 overseas offices whose purpose is to assist people applying to immigrate to the U.S. is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (4/17/2019): Withholding bail from asylum seekers (i.e. forcing the imprisonment of people who pursue a legal avenue to emigrate to the U.S.) is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (4/30/2019): Imposing new fees on asylum applications and imposing an 180-day limit on adjudicating asylum applications is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (8/29/2019): Ending automatic citizenship for the children of members of the military or other people working for the federal government abroad is a restriction on legal U.S. Citizens.
ADDING (10/5/2019): Denying visa applications for immigrants who lack health insurance is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (10/26/2019): Restricting the waiver of fees for citizenship applications for immigrants to have been on public assistance is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (11/11/2019): Increasing the fees on citizenship applications and imposing, for the first time, fees on asylum applications is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (1/27/2020): Vastly expanding the definition of "public charge" to prevent immigrants from receiving visas or green cards is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (2/2/2020): Extending the travel ban to six more countries is a restriction only on legal immigration.
ADDING (2/27/20): Creating an office to take away the citizenship of people who have naturalized is an effort to remove legal immigrants from the U.S.
ADDING (4/21/2020): Suspending the issuance of permanent residency (green cards) is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (5/8/2020): Suspending protection and expelling asylum-seeking children is a restriction on legal immigration (asylum is a legal path to immigrate to the U.S.)
ADDING (5/15/2020): Suspending OTP is suspension of a form of legal immigration.
ADDING (6/23/2020): Suspending H-1B, seasonal workers visas, and hospitality industry visas, ending permission of foreign students to participate in work study programs, not issuing certain au pair visas, barring the transfer of foreign executives to the U.S., blocking the admission of spouses of foreigners who are working in the U.S., and extending the processing of green card applications are several different restrictions on legal immigration to the U.S.
ADDING (6/30/2020): Furloughing 13,400 federal employees who process immigration paperwork which "will effectively bring the U.S. immigration system grinding to a halt" is a move to stop legal immigration.
ADDING (6/30/2020): Furloughing 13,400 federal employees who process immigration paperwork which "will effectively bring the U.S. immigration system grinding to a halt" is a move to stop legal immigration.
ADDING (7/6/2020): Requiring foreign students to leave the country (even if they have a valid student visa) if their college has online classes is a restriction on people legally in the country (technically legal non-immigrants)
ADDING (9/25/2020): Proposing a rule that would prohibit students from 59 countries from getting a student visa for a four-year college is a restriction on people legally in the country (again, technically non-immigrants, but they would be legal non-immigrants).
ADDING (10/1/2020): Slashing the cap on the number of refugees admitted in the US in 2021 is a restriction on legal immigration.
ADDING (10/6/2020): Adding narrowing the range of jobs eligible for H-1B visas and expanding the definition of the "real offer" requirement for H-1B Visas are restrictions on legal immigration.
ADDING (10/6/2020): Adding narrowing the range of jobs eligible for H-1B visas and expanding the definition of the "real offer" requirement for H-1B Visas are restrictions on legal immigration.
ADDING (12/10/2020): Making the citizenship test more difficult is a restriction on legal immigration.
