Remember when Chuck & Nancy said...

...they had a DACA deal with President Trump?  And remember when Chuck said President Trump had abandoned his Wall for the DACA deal?  Remember how many 'Patriots' lost their collective sh*t about '...broken campaign promises...'?

I have said it before, and I will say it again: President Trump can think around corners that his political adversaries (and even his allies) can't even see.

Too many people are willing to pick nits and abandon ship without allowing events to unfold and evolve.  You've got to allow the man room to work without barking and snapping at his heels like some ankle-biting toy poodle.

Dig in your heels, folks.  He can't do it alone.  Get back in formation and cover the man's back.

Here's the deal being offered for DACA - choke on it, Chuck & Nancy...

Here's the Washington Time's piece.

IMMIGRATION PRINCIPLES & POLICIES

1. BORDER SECURITY

A. Border Wall. Our porous southern border presents a clear threat to our national security and public safety, and is exploited by drug traffickers and criminal cartels. The Administration therefore proposes completing construction of a wall along the southern border of the United States.

i. Ensure funding for the southern border wall and associated infrastructure.

ii. Authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to raise, collect, and use

certain processing fees from immigration benefit applications and border crossings

for functions related to border security, physical infrastructure, and law enforcement.

iii. Improve infrastructure and security on the northern border.

B. Unaccompanied Alien Children. Loopholes in current law prevent “Unaccompanied Alien

Children” (UACs) that arrive in the country illegally from being removed. Rather than being

deported, they are instead sheltered by the Department of Health and Human Services at

taxpayer expense, and subsequently released to the custody of a parent or family member

who often lack lawful status in the United States themselves. These loopholes in current law

create a dramatic pull factor for additional illegal immigration and in recent years, there has

been a significant increase in the apprehensions of UACs at our southern border. Therefore,

the Administration proposes amending current law to ensure the expeditious return of UACs

and family units.

i. Amend the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act

of 2008 (TVRPA) to treat all UACs the same regardless of their country of origin, so

long as they are not victims of human trafficking and can be safely returned home or

removed to safe third countries.

ii. Clarify that alien minors who are not UACs (accompanied by a parent or legal

guardian or have a parent or legal guardian in the United States available to provide

care and physical custody) are not entitled to the presumptions or protections granted

to UACs.

iii. Terminate the Flores Settlement Agreement (FSA) by passing legislation stipulating

care standards for minors in custody and clarify corresponding provisions of the

TVPRA that supersede the FSA.

iv. Amend the definition of “special immigrant,” as it pertains to juveniles, to require

that the applicant prove that reunification with both parents are not viable due to

abuse, neglect, or abandonment and that the applicant is a victim of trafficking. The

current legal definition is abused, and provides another avenue for illicit entry.

v. Repeal the requirement that an asylum officer have initial jurisdiction over UAC

asylum applications to expedite processing.

C. Asylum Reform. The massive asylum backlog has allowed illegal immigrants to enter and

stay in the United States by exploiting asylum loopholes. There are more than 270,000

pending cases in the asylum backlog before USCIS, and approximately 250,000 asylum cases

before EOIR. Therefore, the Administration proposes correcting the systemic deficiencies

that created that backlog.

i. Significantly tighten standards and eliminate loopholes in our asylum system.

ii. Elevate the threshold standard of proof in credible fear interviews.

iii. Impose and enforce penalties for the filing of frivolous, baseless, or fraudulent

asylum applications, and expand the use of expedited removal as appropriate.

iv. Close loopholes in the law to bar terrorist aliens from entering the country and

receiving any immigration benefits.

v. Clarify and enhance the legal definition of “aggravated felony” to ensure that criminal

aliens do not receive certain immigration benefits.

vi. Expand the ability to return asylum seekers to safe third countries.

vii. Ensure only appropriate use of parole authority for aliens with credible fear or asylum

claims, to deter meritless claims and ensure the swift removal of those whose claims

are denied.

viii. Prevent aliens who have been granted asylum or who entered as refugees from

obtaining lawful permanent resident status if they are convicted of an aggravated

felony.

ix. Require review of the asylee or refugee status of an alien who returns to their home

country absent a material change in circumstances or country conditions.

D. Ensure Swift Border Returns. Immigration judges and supporting personnel face an

enormous case backlog, which cripples our ability to remove illegal immigrants in a timely

manner. The Administration therefore proposes providing additional resources to reduce the

immigration court backlog and ensure swift return of illegal border crossers.

i. Seek appropriations to hire an additional 370 immigration judges.

ii. Establish performance metrics for immigration judges.

iii. Seek appropriations to hire an additional 1,000 U.S. Immigration and Customs

Enforcement (ICE) attorneys, with sufficient support personnel.

iv. Ensure sufficient resources for detention.

E. Inadmissible Aliens. The current statutory grounds for inadmissibility are too broad, and

allow for the admission of individuals who threaten our public safety. Therefore, the

Administration proposes expanding the criteria that render aliens inadmissible and ensure

that such aliens are maintained in continuous custody until removal.

i. Expand the grounds of inadmissibility to include gang membership.

ii. Expand the grounds of inadmissibility to include those who have been convicted of

an aggravated felony; identity theft; fraud related to Social Security benefits;

domestic violence; child abuse; drunk driving offenses; failure to register as a sex

offender; or certain firearm offenses, including the unlawful purchase, sale,

possession, or carrying of a firearm.

iii. Expand the grounds of inadmissibility to include former spouses and children of

individuals engaged in drug trafficking and trafficking in persons, if the official

determines the divorce was a sham or the family members continue to receive

benefits from the illicit activity.

F. Discourage Illegal Re-entry. Many Americans are victims of crime committed by

individuals who have repeatedly entered the United States illegally, which also undermines

the integrity of the entire immigration system. Therefore, the Administration proposes

increasing penalties for repeat illegal border crossers and those with prior deportations.

G. Facilitate the Removal of Illegal Aliens from Partner Nations. Current barriers prevent the

Federal Government from providing assistance to partner nations for the purpose of

removing aliens from third countries whose ultimate intent is entering the United States.

Therefore, the Administration proposes authorizing DHS to provide foreign assistance to

partner nations to support migration management efforts conducted by those nations. This

will allow DHS to improve the ability of Central and South American countries to curb

northbound migration flows and to interrupt ongoing human smuggling, which will also

substantially reduce pressures on U.S. taxpayers.

H. Expedited Removal. Limited categories of aliens are currently subject to expedited removal,

which erodes border integrity and control by impeding the ability of the Federal Government

to efficiently and quickly remove inadmissible and deportable aliens from the United States.

The Administration seeks to expand the grounds of removability and the categories of aliens

subject to expedited removal and by ensuring that only aliens with meritorious valid claims

of persecution can circumvent expedited removal.

2. INTERIOR ENFORCEMENT

A. Sanctuary Cities. Hundreds of sanctuary jurisdictions release dangerous criminals and

empower violent cartels like MS-13 by refusing to turn over incarcerated criminal aliens to

Federal authorities. Therefore, the Administration proposes blocking sanctuary cities from

receiving certain grants or cooperative agreements administered or awarded by the

Departments of Justice and Homeland Security

i. Restrict such grants from being issued to:

a. Any state or local jurisdiction that fails to cooperate with any United States

government entity regarding enforcement of federal immigration laws;

b. Any entity that provides services or benefits to aliens not entitled to receive

them under existing Federal law; and

c. Any state or local jurisdiction that provides more favorable plea agreements or

sentencing for alien criminal defendants for the purpose of immigration

consequences of convictions.

ii. Clarify ICE’s detainer authority, and States’ and localities’ ability to honor that

authority, so that States will continue to detain an individual pursuant to civil

immigration law for up to 48 hours so that ICE may assume custody.

iii. Provide indemnification for State and local governments to protect them from civil

liability based solely on compliance with immigration detainers and transportation of

alien detainees.

iv. Require State and local jurisdictions to provide all information requested by ICE

relating to aliens in their custody and the circumstances surrounding their detention.

v. Clarify the definition of a criminal conviction for immigration purposes, to prevent

jurisdictions from vacating or modifying criminal convictions to protect illegal

immigrants, and roll back erosion of the criminal grounds of removal by courts under

the “categorical approach.”

B. Immigration Authority for States and Localities. The prior Administration suppressed

cooperative partnerships between the Federal Government and State or local governments

that wanted to help with immigration enforcement, undermining the security of our

communities. Therefore, the Administration proposes enhancing State and local cooperation

with Federal immigration law enforcement in order to ensure national security and public

safety.

i. Clarify the authority of State and local governments to investigate, arrest, detain, or

transfer to Federal custody aliens for purposes of enforcing Federal immigration laws

when done in cooperation with DHS.

ii. Authorize State and local governments to pass legislation that will support Federal

law enforcement efforts.

iii. Incentivize State and local governments to enter into agreements with the Federal

Government regarding immigration enforcement efforts.

iv. Provide the same extent of immunity to State and local law enforcement agencies

performing immigration enforcement duties within the scope of their official role as is

provided to Federal law enforcement agencies.

C. Visa Overstays. Visa overstays account for roughly 40 percent of illegal immigration. The

Administration therefore proposes strengthening the removal processes for those who

overstay or otherwise violate the terms of their visas, and implementing measures to prevent

future visa overstays which may account for a growing percentage of illegal immigration.

i. Discourage visa overstays by classifying such conduct as a misdemeanor.

ii. Require that all nonimmigrant visas held by an alien be cancelled when any one

nonimmigrant visa held by that alien is cancelled, to ensure that if an alien abuses one

type of visa, he cannot circumvent the immigration system by then relying on another

type of visa to enter the United States.

iii. Bar all visa overstays from immigration benefits for a certain period of time with no

waiver.

iv. Clarify that the government does not bear any expense for legal counsel for any visa

overstay in removal or related proceedings.

v. Require DHS to provide all available data relating to any deportable alien to the

Department of Justice’s National Crime Information Center for purposes of that

alien’s inclusion in the Immigration Violators File, with the exception of aliens who

cooperate with DHS on criminal investigations.

vi. Enhance the vetting of bond sponsors for those aliens who enter without inspection,

to ensure that bond sponsors undergo thorough background checks prior to being

eligible to post or receive a bond.

vii. Permit the Department of State to release certain visa records to foreign governments

on a case-by-case basis when sharing is in the U.S. national interest.

viii. Permit the Department of State to review the criminal background of foreign

diplomats or government officials contained in the National Crime Information

Center database before visa adjudication, regardless of whether the applicant’s

fingerprints are in the database.

D. Necessary Resources. The relatively small number of ICE officers is grossly inadequate to

serve a nation of 320 million people with tens of millions of tourists and visitors crossing

U.S. ports of entry every year. Therefore, the Administration proposes providing more

resources that are vitally needed to enforce visa laws, restore immigration enforcement, and

dismantle criminal gangs, networks and cartels.

i. Seek appropriations to hire an additional 10,000 ICE officers.

ii. Seek appropriations to hire an additional 300 Federal prosecutors to support Federal

immigration prosecution efforts.

iii. Reforms to help expedite the responsible addition of new ICE personnel.

E. Detention Authority. Various laws and judicial rulings have eroded ICE’s ability to detain

illegal immigrants (including criminal aliens), such that criminal aliens are released from ICE

custody into our communities. Therefore, the Administration proposes terminating outdated

catch-and-release laws that make it difficult to remove illegal immigrants.

i. Ensure public safety and national security by providing a legislative fix for the

Zadvydas loophole, and authorizing ICE, consistent with the Constitution, to retain

custody of illegal aliens whose home countries will not accept their repatriation.

ii. Require the detention of an alien: (1) who was not inspected and admitted into the

United States, who holds a revoked nonimmigrant visa (or other nonimmigrant

admission document), or who is deportable for failing to maintain nonimmigrant

status; and (2) who has been charged in the United States with a crime that resulted in

the death or serious bodily injury of another person.

F. Legal Workforce. Immigrants who come here illegally and enter the workforce undermine

job opportunities and reduce wages for American workers, as does the abuse of visa

programs. Therefore, the Administration increasing employment verification and other

protections for U.S. workers.

i. Require the use of the electronic status-verification system (“E-Verify”) to ensure the

maintenance of a legal workforce in the United States.

ii. Preempt any State or local law relating to employment of unauthorized aliens.

iii. Impose strong penalties, including debarment of Federal contractors, for failure to

comply with E-Verify.

iv. Increase penalties for any person or entity engaging in a pattern or practice of

violations.

v. Require the Social Security Administration to disclose information to DHS to be used

in the enforcement of immigration laws.

vi. Expand the definition of unlawful employment discrimination to include replacement

of U.S. citizen workers by nonimmigrant workers or the preferential hiring of such

foreign workers over U.S. citizen workers.

vii. Strengthen laws prohibiting document fraud related to employment or to any other

immigration benefit.

G. Deportable Aliens. The categories of aliens that currently qualify for deportation are

insufficiently broad to remove aliens who pose a threat to the security of the American

public. Therefore, the Administration proposes expanding and clarifying the type of aliens

who present a danger to Americans and should therefore be removable on an expedited basis.

i. Expand grounds of deportability to explicitly include gang members.

ii. Expand the grounds of deportability to include those convicted of multiple drunk

driving offenses or a single offense involving death or serious injury.

iii. Expand the grounds of deportability to include those who fail to register as a sex

offender.

iv. Clarify the technical definition of “aggravated felony” by referring to “an offense

relating to” each of the categories of crimes, rather than specifying the crimes

themselves. This will ensure certain kinds of homicide, sex offenses, and trafficking

offenses are encompassed within the statutory definition.

H. Gang Members. Today, known gang members are still able to win immigration benefits

despite the dangers they pose to American society. As such, the Administration proposes

implementing measures that would deny gang members and those associated with criminal

gangs from receiving immigration benefits.

I. Visa Security Improvements. Without sufficient resources, the State Department is hindered

from adequately vetting visa applicants. As such, the Administration proposes enhancing

State Department visa and traveler security resources and authorities.

i. Expand the Department of State’s authority to use fraud prevention and detection fees

for programs and activities to combat all classes of visa fraud within the United States

and abroad.

ii. Ensure funding for the Visa Security Program and facilitate its expansion to all highrisk

posts.

iii. Increase the border crossing card fee.

iv. Grant the Department of State authority to apply the Passport Security Surcharge to

the costs of protecting U.S. citizens and their interests overseas, and to include those

costs when adjusting the surcharge.

v. Strengthen laws prohibiting civil and criminal immigration fraud and encourage the

use of advanced analytics to proactively detect fraud in immigration benefit

applications.

3. MERIT-BASED IMMIGRATION SYSTEM

A. Merit-Based Immigration. The current immigration system prioritizes extended familybased

chain migration over skills-based immigration and does not serve the national interest.

Decades of low-skilled immigration has suppressed wages, fueled unemployment and

strained federal resources. Therefore, the Administration proposes establishing a merit-based

immigration system that protects U.S. workers and taxpayers, and ending chain migration, to

promote financial success and assimilation for newcomers.

i. End extended-family chain migration by limiting family-based green cards to spouses

and minor children and replace it with a merit-based system that prioritizes skills and

economic contributions over family connections.

ii. Establish a new, points-based system for the awarding of Green Cards (lawful

permanent residents) based on factors that allow individuals to successfully assimilate

and support themselves financially.

iii. Eliminate the “Diversity Visa Lottery.”

iv. Limit the number of refugees to prevent abuse of the generous U.S. Refugee

Admissions Program and allow for effective assimilation of admitted refugees into

the fabric of our society.