President Trump invoked the legacy of the late civil rights leader Barbara Jordan Wednesday in his immigration debate with Congress, saying the former House Democrat “recognized that an immigration policy that puts Americans first is an important civil rights issue.”
“In the spirit of Jordan’s vision, my administration has taken an America First approach to immigration,” Mr. Trump said in a statement honoring Jordan, who died on this date in 1996. “As a result, illegal immigration is down and reports from around the country are showing companies increasing wages and hiring Americans pushed out of the labor market during past administrations.”
He said, “She remained steadfast in promoting common-sense reforms that would better protect the rights and needs of Americans.”
Mr. Trump, who is under fire by Democrats for his reported comments about restricting immigration from certain poor nations, said Jordan “challenged our nation’s leaders to maximize opportunities for all Americans by adopting an immigration policy that puts American citizens first.”
“Jordan called for an end to chain migration, which has allowed millions upon millions of low-skilled foreign nationals to compete for opportunities and resources against our most vulnerable American citizens — many of whom come from African-American and Hispanic-American communities,” the president said. “She also called for the mandatory use of an electronic employment verification system, now known as E-Verify, to finally turn off the jobs-magnet that lures so many illegal immigrants to our country.”
Jordan was the first woman to serve Texas in the U.S. House, and she was the first black woman elected to the Texas state Senate in 1966.
He said he is “optimistic that Republicans and Democrats in Congress will come together, for the good of our country, to pass legislation that secures our southern border with a wall, stops chain migration, and ends the visa lottery program once and for all.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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