Jared Kushner briefed senators Tuesday on an immigration proposal meant to boost border security and set up a new merit-based system that would keep the number of legal immigrants coming into the United States at current levels, according to a senior administration official.
"What we’re doing in this plan is we’re working on keeping the number the same.
We’re just changing the composition," the official said.Kushner has been quietly working on the plan for several months, and he has told allies that he believes he has the buy-in of President Donald Trump and other more hardline administration officials.
The plan would focus on attracting high-skilled workers into the United States. "We’ve been playing around with it to figure out how you build something that really works for America. The No. 1 goal in that is to make sure that we’re not bringing in low-skilled labor," the official said.
The Council of Economic Advisers worked closely with Kushner on the plan, and the official said it would cumulatively increase wages in the United States.
The border security component of the plan would use technology to modernize ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The official declined to say when the White House would release the plan publicly or when Trump hopes to see action in Congress. Kushner has not yet briefed Democratic lawmakers on the plan.
Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine