Donald Trump,Tom Cotton,David Perdue

President Donald Trump, flanked by Sen. Tom Cotton, R- Ark., left, and Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017, during the unveiling of legislation that would place new limits on legal immigration.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer on Thursday accused President Donald Trump of holding hypocritical views on immigration, saying the president wants to limit almost every immigration program except one that benefits his brand of hotels.

Schumer, D-N.Y., made his remarks on the Senate floor a day after Trump embraced legislation from two Republican senators that would reduce legal immigration to the United States.

At the same time, the GOP proposal would move the U.S. toward a system that prioritizes merit and skills over family ties for new immigrants.

Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, said the bill "goes after hardworking people who want to play by the rules" as legal immigrants, while failing to crack down on employers who "abuse visa programs to outsource jobs and displace American workers."

He criticized Trump for saying he wants to cut back on immigration, even though last month the president approved increasing the number of H2B visas for foreign "guest workers" employed in seasonal non-agricultural jobs such as those at summer and winter resorts.

"So, the president announces he's cutting back on immigration," Schumer said. "But a month ago he actually increased the number of H2B visas, a program the president knows well. You know why? A lot of those H2B visas work in hotels. I don't know how many, but I would bet there's a good number in Trump hotels."

Schumer added, "So when the president actually looks at immigration in his own businesses he says we need more immigrants. And he has said when asked before - well he couldn't get American workers. But when he comes up with his big immigration plan, I think appealing to not the higher instincts of Americans, he says slash it. Those two are a complete contradiction. To hold both those views is to hold hypocritical views."

Under the plan endorsed by Trump, legal immigration to the United States would be cut 41 percent in the first year and 50 percent in its 10th, according to the bill's sponsors.

The bill also seeks to reduce the number of refugees admitted to the United States each year to about half of the current number.

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