WASHINGTON— Today, President Trump introduced an immigration plan crafted by his son-in-law Jared Kushner and White House Advisor Stephen Miller. The plan overhauls the current U.S. immigration system by prioritizing merit-based immigration over family reunification. In addition, the plan does not address the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program or Temporary Protected Status (TPS), prioritizes the construction of Trump’s border wall, and eliminates asylum protections for vulnerable children. In response to the plan, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva issued the following statement:

“If President Trump were serious about repairing our immigration system, he would stop implementing disastrous policies that demonize asylum seekers, terrorize immigrant families, and militarize our Southern border. Instead, his plan calls for more of the same recycled policy proposals: more deportations, more family separations, and more red-tape to block certain groups of immigrants from entering our country.

“As Jared Kushner plays government with noted racist Stephen Miller, this is exactly the type of plan we can expect: half-baked solutions that fail to promote a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and address the backlog of asylum seekers that we so desperately need. Our immigration system must reflect our values, prioritize humanity, and create a fair process for both families and businesses. I cannot accept any plan by the White House that does anything to the contrary and is dead on arrival in Congress.”