President Donald Trump has announced a new immigration policy that will seek to shift attention away from low-skilled labor. It’s called the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act, RAISE, which Katie noted would amount to the biggest overhaul in immigration policy since the 1960s.

“Struggling American families deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first. The RAISE Act ends chain migration and replaces our low-skilled system with a new points-based system,” said President Trump in the Roosevelt Room this morning.





Well, that didn’t sit well with CNN’s Jim Acosta, who decided to spar with Stephen Miller, senior aide to President Trump, over aspects of the policy, specifically the emphasis on high-skills and knowing English. Acosta said the new policy direction violates what the Statue of Liberty has stood for, which devolved into an intense war of words.

Miller accused Acosta of having a cosmopolitan bias, while asking when the Statute of Liberty law of the land was violated. When we allowed 300,000 people to enter the country in 1970? When we allowed 500,000 in during the 1990s?

“Tell me what years meet Jim Acosta’s definition of the Statute of Liberty poem law of the land?” barked Miller.

Acosta accused the Trump White House of having a “press 1 for English” direction that is not in keeping with past immigration policy.

“That is one of the most outrageous, insulting, ignorant, and foolish things you’ve ever said. The notion that you think this is a racist bill is so wrong and so insulting,” said Miller. “This is an amazing moment that you think only people from Great Britain and Australia would speak English is so insulting to millions of hard-working immigrants who do speak English from all over the world,” he added.

Stephen Miller just accused Jim Acosta of having "cosmopolitan bias to a shocking degree." — Rosie Gray (@RosieGray) August 2, 2017

Stephen Miller: "We want to help unemployed African Americans in this country." https://t.co/mj7iRVgqwR pic.twitter.com/SdZwCxZNAc — Fox News (@FoxNews) August 2, 2017



Addendum: Anna Giaritelli of The Washington Examiner had more details on the key provisions of the legislation. She also reported that Miller predicted “unstoppable momentum” for this immigration overhaul.

"This legislation will not only restore our competitive edge in the 21st century but the bonds of trust between America and its citizens. This legislation demonstrates our compassion for struggling American families who deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first and America first," Trump said during a press conference at the White House Wednesday. "This competitive application process will favor applicants who can speak English, financially support themselves and their families, and demonstrate skills that will contribute to our economy." […] The bill is the most significant type of green card reform since the GOP-majority Congress unsuccessfully tried to cut immigration numbers with a provision in 1996. Trump's commitment to immigration reform while on the campaign trail focused on illegal immigration as opposed to protocols for those who use visas to enter the country. During his first address to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 28, Trump decried the "current, outdated system" that awards visas based on economic or humanitarian needs, as well as family connections. "Switching away from this current system of lower-skilled immigration, and instead adopting a merit-based system, we will have so many more benefits," Trump said in February. "It will save countless dollars, raise workers' wages, and help struggling families — including immigrant families — enter the middle class." […] The revised RAISE Act steals a page from Canada and Australia, whose immigration laws prioritize high-skilled workers for employment-based green cards. The number of skills-based visas would increase under the proposal though businesses could rely more on outsourcing jobs to cheaper employees in other countries. […] The diversity visa lottery would be eliminated while the number of green cards or documents for permanent residents would increase. Family immigration categories would be narrowed to no longer include extended family members and adult children of U.S. citizens. However, citizens are able to apply for renewable, temporary visas for elderly parents. If passed, the 1 million legal immigrants who enter the U.S. annually would drop to somewhere between 500,000 and 600,000 people by 2027, putting it in line with historic norms. Refugee admissions would also be capped at 50,000 per year, the 13-year average despite a recent increase of Syrian refugees.

UPDATE: Here's the transcript: