W (CNN) White House adviser Jared Kushner's proposal to reform the US legal immigration system will be broken into two parts: one focused on border security and the other on legal immigration, according to a senior administration official.

The first part of the proposal deals with border security. This would include constructing physical barriers where needed and modernizing ports of entry in the north, south and on the coasts -- so that every person, vehicle and cargo container is scanned to prevent anything illegal from coming into the country, and that trade is facilitated more quickly. This proposal, the official said, would protect rights and respect due process while also preserving the right to detain, adjudicate and remove any individual if need be, especially people trying to circumvent the legal system.

The second part of the proposal asks what should legal immigration look like. With 185 different kinds of visas, the system right now is easy to game, the official said. This proposal would for now keep the level of immigration at the same level it is currently, and work toward a merit-based system based on the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand systems.

Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, has been a sounding board on legal immigration reforms.

Over the course of two months, a number of immigration groups and business groups have gathered at the White House to discuss a range of topics related to legal immigration, including employment-based visas, temporary worker programs, the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and moving toward a merit-based immigration system, several sources familiar with the meetings told CNN.

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