Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
The Trump administration this week laid out what it wants from any deal to help Dreamers.In exchange for developing a system that protects them, the White House is demanding more immigration agents, a wall on the Southern border and more.
But not all of the President's backers want those things, including Alfonso Aguilar, president of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles.
I don't think the President is saying that this is an all-or-nothing thing where to pass a Dream act-type legislation, you have to include all these proposals.
I think this is just a wish list to begin negotiations.
I think we all know that his senior advisor on immigration policy, it's Stephen Miller. ... He's a restrictionist, not very supportive of immigration.
So I think this reflects Stephen Miller's thinking. I don't think the President was really involved in crafting these proposals.
Now I think he agrees with many of them, but I think the President is really open to negotiating. I think the President wants a legislative victory.
Discussing right now the immigrant visa categories, that's way too much.
While I think it's a reasonable debate to have – to move our immigrant visa system to a more merit-based, skill-based system – I don't think we should do it right now.