Millions of Families Are Falling Apart Due to Trump’s Chain Migration Ban

One of President Trump’s advocacies, when he was still a presidential candidate, was to limit the number of immigrants entering the country. He aimed to restore America’s glory by implementing the American First policy. That’s why he drew criticisms for his controversial immigration policies like banning some Middle East countries from entering the country and the crackdown of illegal immigrants.

However, it seems Trump isn’t done with his immigration policies yet. Why? It’s because this time, he endangers millions of families from falling apart by vowing to end chain migration during his term.

What is Chain Migration?

The chain migration composes one of the four major pillars of the US immigration system. It lets a bonafide US citizen or an immigrant (a.k.a the green card holder) sponsor their first-degree family members and spouse to join them in the US. Typically, the lawful resident can only bring his or her spouse and children to the country. However, some legal immigrants also ended up bringing their close-knit relatives to the country.

Most US immigrants get reunited with their loved ones through the family-based immigration program.

The flaw of this immigration policy lies in the fact that it can admit indefinite numbers of immigrants based on the family ties alone. Thus, most foreigners now see chain migration as a right of entitlement for the immigrant’s whole family to avail. Most immigrants tend to skip America’s strict screening process because of the family-based immigration program.

A Product of Chain Migration

What’s worse, one NYC bomber took advantage of chain migration to enter the US borders and live in the country. The 27-year old NYC bomber suspect named Akayed Ullah entered the United States from Bangladesh thanks to the family-sponsored immigration petition in 2011. Ullah received his permanent residency through the fourth family-based immigration category; although it remains unclear how many years Ullah and his family waited before the US immigration granted their 2011 entry.

The Mugshot of Akayed Ullah, the suspect of the NYC explosion that took place on December 11, 2017

The NYPD stated that the suspect stopped an improvised pipe bomb to its chest while passing by along the New York’s Times Square. He then detonated the said bomb partially, injuring three people from the explosion. Thousands of commuters also flee from the scene for their safety. The authorities found the suspect lying on the ground when they captured him. The Federal prosecutors charged the suspect with using a mass of destruction weapon and for supporting the notorious ISIS terrorist organization.

Trump Wants to End the Chain Migration System ASAP

President Trump called a bipartisan meeting last January 9, 2018, to tackle about immigration reforms

Due to the incident, President Trump vowed to end the chain migration in his announcement a month ago.  He claimed that chain migration contributes to the worsening of mass shootings around the country. President Trump also noted that most foreigners got their immigrant visas through the fourth preference category of chain migration. This data coincides with the rise of mass shooting incidents recorded ever since Trump assumed his position.

Anti-chain Migration Policy Drew Criticisms Again

Thousands of immigration experts criticized the President for implementing a senseless policy again. They reiterated that Ullah’s case is only an isolated one. President Trump should realize that not all foreigners are taking advantage of the said chain migration program. In fact, the family-based migration system is a painfully long process that takes years, and even decades, for the family members to gain entry to the US.

In fact, the US immigration has an astounding 2.5 million US visas and green card backlogs as of late 2017. This data proves that the US immigration isn’t too lenient with granting immigration visas. All the applicants have to undergo and pass the Federal government’s strict guidelines and requirements to have their applications approved.

Once they acquire their US visa, it isn’t even the end of their journey yet. They still need to wait a long time to get a green card that designates their permanent residency. After that, they need to wait five more years before they can acquire dual citizenship to become naturalized US citizens. If President Trump implements the chain migration ban, millions of families all over the world get separated from their family members.