The Departments of Justice and Homeland Security on Wednesday endorsed cuts to legal immigration unveiled earlier in the day by President Trump and a pair of GOP senators.

In statements released to the press after the revised Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act was unveiled at the White House, the two agencies backed the bill, calling it a step toward a "merit-based immigration system."

"This proposal will help the Department of Justice perform its duties to uphold our nation's immigration law and end the unlawful abuse of our public benefits program that undermine U.S. taxpayers," Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTrump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report MORE said in a statement.

Sessions, long a staunch opponent of illegal immigration, also blasted the current system in his remarks, saying it was "rife with fraud and abuse."

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"The RAISE act would give us a more merit-based immigration system that admits the best and brightest around the world while making it harder for people to come here illegally," he said.

In a separate statement, acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke also endorsed the policy, writing that the U.S. "must encourage the admission of the best and brightest from around the world."

"We look forward to an immigration structure that is better for American workers, the American economy, for American security, and better for legal immigrants and their immediate families," Duke added.

Trump announced the RAISE Act at the White House on Wednesday alongside GOP Sens. Tom Cotton Tom Bryant CottonRenewed focus on Trump's Supreme Court list after Ginsburg's death Republicans call for DOJ to prosecute Netflix executives for releasing 'Cuties' Loeffler calls for hearing in wake of Netflix's 'Cuties' MORE (Ark.) and David Perdue (Ga.). In prepared remarks, Trump said the bill “would represent the most significant reform to our immigration system in a half a century."

"As a candidate, I campaigned on creating a merit-based immigration system that protects U.S. workers and taxpayers and that’s why we are here today," Trump said, adding the bill would "reduce poverty, increase wages and save taxpayers billions and billions of dollars."