US President Donald Trump's travel ban on seven predominantly Muslim countries might just be a start. Mr Trump is supporting a wide reaching bill backed by two Republican senators, which seeks to cut legal immigration by half. The bill comes days after the White House had claimed that it has no immediate plans to add new countries in the travel ban list.
The bill proposes only spouses and minor children of permanent residents could apply for green cards, bringing the number of immigrants allowed to live in the US each year to 500,000 from 1 million. A diversity visa lottery which grants visas to 50,000 immigrants would also be eliminated. The bill does not affect H1B visa holders.
Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue, the architects of the proposal, claim to have spoken to President Trump as recently as Tuesday. Both are close to Steve Bannon, the President's chief strategist who is believed to be at the helm of directing major policy.
The move also indicates how the far right of the Republican Party and vitriolic, anti-immigrant voices are increasingly coming to the fore in the new Trump administration.
Both senators have acknowledged that their bill would not come out soon - the best case scenario for them is a senate vote at the end of the year; and considering the need for Democratic support for its passing, their chances of success at best look slim. Most mainstream Republicans too back comprehensive immigration reform, not a vicious crackdown.
Mr Trump's controversial executive order -- barring entry to all refugees for 120 days and travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days -- has been halted by a federal court. The Trump administration has challenged the court order.
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