Washington—The Monthly Harvard-Harris Poll (January 17-19, 2018) asked voters if they thought “immigration priority for those coming to the U.S. should be based on a person's ability to contribute to America as measured by their education and skills or based on a person having relatives in the U.S.” The results were overwhelming. 79 percent of respondents said immigration should be based on a person's ability to contribute to America, and only 21 percent said immigration should be based on a person having relatives in the U.S. Heritage Action released the following statement from Chief Executive Officer Michael A. Needham:
“If the three day shutdown didn’t reveal just how out of touch congressional Democrats are with the American people, the new Harvard poll certainly does. Voters overwhelmingly agree with President Trump’s position that immigration should be based on merit, not whether a distant relative holds a green card. The left’s insistence that we must grant amnesty to millions and maintain our current broken immigration system is a non-starter for the American people.”
On Fox News Sunday last week, Needham made clear the government shutdown was “actually about chain migration.” He continued:
“The president has been very clear from the very start that when he first said we'll have a six-month reprieve on DACA, that one of the things he wants is an end to chain migration. From a policy perspective, he's exactly right about that. We should have a system that allows people generously into America who can provide merit, and do it the same way Canada and Australia do it. Instead, we have this crazy system where people are allowed to bring distant relatives like cousins into the country, and that's the issue they are shutting the government over.”
Related:
Real Clear Politics: Why Conservatives Are Proposing a DACA Deal
Fox News Sunday: Shutdown Showdown Is Actually About Chain Migration, Not DACA
Heritage Action: Democrats’ Amnesty Shutdown
Heritage Action: Time to Shut Down Chain Migration