Transcripts For CSPAN Washington Journal Open Phones 2018010

He served 42 years in the senate, more than any other republican in history. He said yesterday it is long enough and will not seek reelection. Among those likely to give the race a look is mitt romney, the 2012 republican president ial nominee. Coming alongside orrin hatchs announcement yesterday included the announcement of bill shuster, House Transportation Committee chairman announced he is stepping down at the end of his term. Politico noting that since he is term limited out of the chairmanship after three terms, many had speculated this would be his last year in congress. More on those announcements later in our program. Since both men plan to serve out their terms through the end of the session, they will both be involved in this immigration debate, which is sure to be a top issue. It is already complicating the spending negotiations that are going on ahead of the latest spending deadline, january 19 here is the story from the Washington Examiner immigration complicates trumps spending. The white house has drawn a series of red lines along deferred action for childhood arrivals program, demanding that containedlation funding for a border wall. Those discussions expected to happen on capitol hill when the White House Legislative Affairs director mark short and budget director Mick Mulvaney are expected to meet with the socalled big four congressional leaders, democratic and Republican Leaders in the house and senate. President trump is expected to talk about this issue separately at camp david this weekend in his meeting with just the Republican Leadership. Paul ryannnell and both headed to camp david in maryland this weekend. Yesterday in the White House Briefing room, Sarah Sanders was asked about what the president wants when it comes to negotiations around the future of daca. The president wants to have responsible Immigration Reform. He said before that he would like to include a daca resolution in that process, and we hope to be able to work with members of congress to get that done. That is a big priority for the administration in 2018. We have laid out what our principles on Immigration Reform look like, and they need to be part of any package that includes daca. Host that is Sarah Sanders and the White House Briefing room yesterday. Want to hear from immigrants only in this first hour. We want to hear about your stories coming to and living in the United States. Recent legal immigrants, 202 7488000 is the number for you. If you are a legal immigrant who has been in the u. S. For five years or longer, 202 7488001 is the number. A phone line for Illegal Immigrants, 202 7488002. We will keep the phone lines open to just immigrants only in this first hour, to hear your stories. You heard Sarah Sanders in the White House Briefing room, and the president took to twitter to talk about Immigration Reform and various issues surrounding it. A couple of tweaks from the president emma kratz doing. Othing for daca they are just interested in politics. Daca activists and hispanics will go hard against democrats, will start falling in love with republicans and their president. We are about results. One more treat from the president , talking about brandon judd, thinking the National Border control council and brandon judd for their kind words. We will be bringing more and great folks and will build the desperately needed wall. We will keep an eye on his twitter page. We are talking to immigrants only in the first hour of washington journal, to hear your stories of living in the United States. Maria has been in the United States for five years or longer, living in pennsylvania. Caller good morning. I have been here 30 years. Call, through what they through the family, my family had been here. I was the last to come. I have been successful. I am a professional. I think this country gives a very Good Opportunity to everybody. That is why everybody wants to come here. In terms of the Illegal Immigrants, i think they really need to wait in line. I think i waited around seven years before i was able to come here, but i did wait and i did come legally. I had to go through requirements like being checked medically, taking sure you do not have diseases that you do not want the United States or people in the United States to have. I think it is very good country, a great country, actually. In the beginning i did not feel that way, but now that i have been here for 30 years i appreciate the United States. Host why didnt you feel like that in the beginning . Caller i was enjoying myself and my country. I was working, i had friends. I was much younger and it was a challenge to be able to come , do training again, start from the beginning. , earningstart working like five dollars per hour and moving up slowly. It was a struggle and i was already independent. I was 30 years old when i came here and i was living independently at home, but my parents wanted me to come because they felt the United States was a good country. After that, i was able to do my training here and i am now, i think i am pretty successful and happy. Host if the system were changed, the president looking to change the family based immigration system for legal immigrants, turning it more toward a meritbased system, would you have been able to come if that were changed, from what you understand of what the president wants to do . Know mymaybe not, but i profession, and my brothers and sisters, my brother came in through the u. S. Navy. He joined the navy. My sister came in as a nurse. This was a while back, more than 50 years ago. Times change and i really do not know how the government is run. Host thanks for calling to share your story. That legislation that the president is supporting is. Alled the raise act it would create a meritbased point system for immigrants. It would allow green card preferences for spouses and minor children of u. S. Citizens, but not most extended family members. It removes current per country immigration caps and would eliminate the visa lottery system. 50,000 per year. David perdue, one of the key sponsors, and tom cotton, both republicans in the senate. We will be going through a lot of the legislation that is proposed to change the immigration system today. We are spending this first hour hearing stories of immigrants only. Ed is a recent immigrant living in boley, maryland. Maryland. Bad. R both good and i am a professional. My wife is here. I came two years ago. I went through all the background checks, criminal background check, Health Background check, professional background check with my professional board exams. I passed and i am working professionally. That they takes all my money from tax. That is the sad story. And they take, almost half of my money away from tax. It is a beautiful country. It is giving me the room to grow more professionally, but that is what i can say. Host were you not expecting the tax rate that you are in when you came to this country . Was that a surprise to you, in terms of what you would be paying in taxes . Or you are saying you pay more in taxes somehow . Caller the picture i had of america was the hollywood picture, everywhere beautiful, eating on the street and drinking wine. But when i came here having to work 12 hours and sometimes i do two jobs before i got my professional job. , my taked of the day home by the end of the day is like 40,000. I dont get it. It is still ridiculous. Are watching and listening to the tax reform debate on capitol hill, were you in favor of the tax reform debate . Caller yes, of course i am in favor of these tax cuts, but it is not clear what is going to happen. Nobody knows. The republicans dont know. The democrats dont know. Until we actually see what is going to happen to housing and it,s and everything about that is all we can say, is a good thing. Everybody wants their taxes to be cut. Host that is a call from maryland this morning. Some facts on immigrants, both lawful and illegal from the pew research center. Lawful immigrants accounted for three quarters of the foreignborn population in the United States, 33. 8 Million People out of 44. 7 million in 2017. The total foreignborn is somewhat below the historic high of 14. 8 in 1890 19. 2 Million Immigrants lived in the United States. About one Million Immigrants receive lawful permanent resident status each year. Most are sponsored by family members. 51,000 people granted green cards, 64 were relatives of u. S. Citizens. Those stats from the pew research center. There are 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States back in 2015. The u. S. Civilian workforce included 8 million unauthorized immigrants, accounting for 5 of those who were unemployed and looking for work. We will go through more of those ofs, plenty reports reports from pew and others. The 115th congress is complicated spending complicating spending debates. We are talking first to immigrants only, including william in tennessee who has been in the country for five years or longer. Caller good morning. I have been here since the year 2001. 21 days before nine 11. 9 411. [indiscernible] so the idea that i have come here to take jobs, the jobs that were open were lowpaying jobs and i refused to take it and i got my old job. That paid nine dollars. I went to school. I went to job corps. [indiscernible] moved to tennessee and [indiscernible] and then i quit that job. [indiscernible] because Company Stole my money and nobody tried to help me out. [indiscernible] still, they are coming host you said you came in just before 9 11. Did you feel like there was a change in this country after 9 11 when i came to new immigrants like yourself . Caller yes, yes. [indiscernible] and they stayed there for two weeks and came to the u. S. The life of the migrant here is not that easy. We work hard. Jobse been working two since 2012. [indiscernible] paysome depot job just eight dollars. I said i want my money. In kenya and uganda, and my two little brothers. So i work all the time. From 2015, i started working two jobs. I was putting 70 hours a week. Host casey is in lanham, maryland, then in the country five years or longer. Caller good morning, how are you . Host doing well. When did you come to the country . Caller in 1980, so i have been here for a very long time. Almost 40 years. And it is interesting how the immigration issue is being used as a political football, especially by the republicans unfortunately. It is completely detached from reality. Aboutne or suggestion where we should go with immigration is not new. The elections were just held in alabama that led to the victory of the democrats. A big part of that is the immigrant population, the naturalized americans. Nobody looked at that. The reality is they overwhelmingly voted for the democrats. It was not even close, so the idea that somehow the democrats having aamed for problem with immigration policy is not connected to reality. This is a nation of immigrants. A nation built by immigrants. So Many Companies were started by immigrants, and one of the isy reasons why america dealing with the issue on so many levels, a particular special breed. It takes a lot for a person to leave their country and go to another country, regardless of what their problem is. It is a very determined, purposeful person. That is why when they come here, they are generally more successful and educated than many natural born americans. That seed being planted is the reason why america is as great as it is. This president is himself a secondgeneration american and married to an immigrant several immigrants, actually. Being around people talking as if immigrants are a plague that need to be dealt with, in reality we should be encouraging emigration because that is how the country was built. Host casey from maryland, mentioning the president s tweets. Plenty of reaction. Here is jim himes, democrat out of connecticut. Congressman himes writing it was a bizarro tweet from the man who needlessly terminate terminated the daca program, throwing the lies of 800,000 young people into chaos and confusion. All daca junior not recipients are latino. That does not matter to you since you are just dog whistling to your base and the altright. The American People see right through you, mr. Trump. Don bier, a democrat out of virginia reminding the president that he ended daca then you declare your intention to use dreamers as a bargaining chip to get money for the useless and deeply unpopular wall that you promised mexico would pay for. We are fighting to protect dreamers. Gabriel is waiting in clayton, North Carolina, in the country for five years. Where did you come from originally . Caller from cuba. Herether had immigrated and also served in the army, and all of us had come from cuba and settled in america, and essentially walked through all the steps that were required to gain citizenship through the Legal Process that was here. I want to say for one, good morning, and a personal thank you to brian lamb who heads this program and overall at cspan, is an excellent gentleman who does not get enough credit. Host i am sure he appreciates that. Caller i will run through and say, we started with nothing when we came here, absolutely nothing. The most important and critical element that has played into our history and trajectory as a family of immigrants, is our willingness to work exceptionally hard. That is missing in a lot of young people today. Fact,ot very old, and in there was a lot of struggles going on just to put food on the table to start out with in this country. But the opportunity was here, and that was the key. I can tell you through a long and arduous pathway that i am barely touching on today, i am a student at duke medical university. I will become a physician soon enough. That is what happens when people are allowed through programs like daca, to push that limit and go beyond where they thought they could not. Host you call it a long and arduous pathway. Is there a way for that pathway to be improved . Is it too arduous . Caller i think right now for the entire country, not specific to the immigrants, it is very hard for people to get ahead. In particular, millennials like myself which is part of what the daca folks are trying to say, there is not the same chance here that was therefore our parents or their parents in the country. , in large part to be fair, how donald trump has been able to infiltrate some of the masses, through a sentiment like that. To make the process easier, you have to take care of the people moving up and willing to dedicate themselves to hard work. Is whatain, to be fair is missing from the young people today. Host donald is waiting in madison, North Carolina, also been here for five years. Caller i would be one of those that would be daca because i come in as a child. Than the other guy and i agree with a lot of the things he said. We had to go through the proper channels to get in, because i came from europe, denmark is where my family is from. America is all i know because i was three when we came here. The biggest thing was it was opportunity. I remember my father trying to get work and we were in North Carolina and textiles were big. They were needing waivers and asking come weavers, and asking could he weve . They hired him and taught him how. He did not know. Them nowadays, the becauseople do not work we are trying to become more of a socialized country instead of an opportunity, like everybody i have listened to and even myself. I have never been without work. Host what should happen to the 700,000 to 800,000 Daca Recipients right now . It is a program that President Trump has said will end earlier this Year Unless Congress acts. What would you like to see them do . Caller i think the ones that age like i did that did not come in the way that i did. Radar theed under the way that normal immigration goes through at the time, because times are always changing. I dont think they should be punished, but there is going to have to be something. And you have got to just like lowered,taxes being Everyone Wants lower taxes that talks to you, everybody does. Want more money. But if you got more money going out the bucket, then that is what the problem is. Got a bottom so no matter how many taxes you put in, it will spend. Host one of the options that Many Democrats are pushing is the socalled dream act, the Development Relief and education for alien minors act. It gives legalization and a path to citizenship for more than 2 million socalled dreamers that would permit grant legal status as long as they meet certain requirements. It stipulates that eligible immigrants obtain a High School Degree or ged, and role in higher education, obtain employment, or serve in the military. Background checks, english anguage proficiency, and criminal record clear of felonies or other serious crimes is required. Some history on the dream act, you will probably be hearing a lot more about it. You have been hearing more about it in recent months as this issue has been tied into the spending debate. Some in House Transportation Committee<\/a> chairman announced he is stepping down at the end of his term. Politico noting that since he is term limited out of the chairmanship after three terms, many had speculated this would be his last year in congress. More on those announcements later in our program. Since both men plan to serve out their terms through the end of the session, they will both be involved in this immigration debate, which is sure to be a top issue. It is already complicating the spending negotiations that are going on ahead of the latest spending deadline, january 19 here is the story from the Washington Examiner<\/a> immigration complicates trumps spending. The white house has drawn a series of red lines along deferred action for childhood arrivals program, demanding that containedlation funding for a border wall. Those discussions expected to happen on capitol hill when the White House Legislative Affairs<\/a> director mark short and budget director Mick Mulvaney<\/a> are expected to meet with the socalled big four congressional leaders, democratic and Republican Leaders<\/a> in the house and senate. President trump is expected to talk about this issue separately at camp david this weekend in his meeting with just the Republican Leaders<\/a>hip. Paul ryannnell and both headed to camp david in maryland this weekend. Yesterday in the White House Briefing<\/a> room, Sarah Sanders<\/a> was asked about what the president wants when it comes to negotiations around the future of daca. The president wants to have responsible Immigration Reform<\/a>. He said before that he would like to include a daca resolution in that process, and we hope to be able to work with members of congress to get that done. That is a big priority for the administration in 2018. We have laid out what our principles on Immigration Reform<\/a> look like, and they need to be part of any package that includes daca. Host that is Sarah Sanders<\/a> and the White House Briefing<\/a> room yesterday. Want to hear from immigrants only in this first hour. We want to hear about your stories coming to and living in the United States<\/a>. Recent legal immigrants, 202 7488000 is the number for you. If you are a legal immigrant who has been in the u. S. For five years or longer, 202 7488001 is the number. A phone line for Illegal Immigrants<\/a>, 202 7488002. We will keep the phone lines open to just immigrants only in this first hour, to hear your stories. You heard Sarah Sanders<\/a> in the White House Briefing<\/a> room, and the president took to twitter to talk about Immigration Reform<\/a> and various issues surrounding it. A couple of tweaks from the president emma kratz doing. Othing for daca they are just interested in politics. Daca activists and hispanics will go hard against democrats, will start falling in love with republicans and their president. We are about results. One more treat from the president , talking about brandon judd, thinking the National Border<\/a> control council and brandon judd for their kind words. We will be bringing more and great folks and will build the desperately needed wall. We will keep an eye on his twitter page. We are talking to immigrants only in the first hour of washington journal, to hear your stories of living in the United States<\/a>. Maria has been in the United States<\/a> for five years or longer, living in pennsylvania. Caller good morning. I have been here 30 years. Call, through what they through the family, my family had been here. I was the last to come. I have been successful. I am a professional. I think this country gives a very Good Opportunity<\/a> to everybody. That is why everybody wants to come here. In terms of the Illegal Immigrants<\/a>, i think they really need to wait in line. I think i waited around seven years before i was able to come here, but i did wait and i did come legally. I had to go through requirements like being checked medically, taking sure you do not have diseases that you do not want the United States<\/a> or people in the United States<\/a> to have. I think it is very good country, a great country, actually. In the beginning i did not feel that way, but now that i have been here for 30 years i appreciate the United States<\/a>. Host why didnt you feel like that in the beginning . Caller i was enjoying myself and my country. I was working, i had friends. I was much younger and it was a challenge to be able to come , do training again, start from the beginning. , earningstart working like five dollars per hour and moving up slowly. It was a struggle and i was already independent. I was 30 years old when i came here and i was living independently at home, but my parents wanted me to come because they felt the United States<\/a> was a good country. After that, i was able to do my training here and i am now, i think i am pretty successful and happy. Host if the system were changed, the president looking to change the family based immigration system for legal immigrants, turning it more toward a meritbased system, would you have been able to come if that were changed, from what you understand of what the president wants to do . Know mymaybe not, but i profession, and my brothers and sisters, my brother came in through the u. S. Navy. He joined the navy. My sister came in as a nurse. This was a while back, more than 50 years ago. Times change and i really do not know how the government is run. Host thanks for calling to share your story. That legislation that the president is supporting is. Alled the raise act it would create a meritbased point system for immigrants. It would allow green card preferences for spouses and minor children of u. S. Citizens, but not most extended family members. It removes current per country immigration caps and would eliminate the visa lottery system. 50,000 per year. David perdue, one of the key sponsors, and tom cotton, both republicans in the senate. We will be going through a lot of the legislation that is proposed to change the immigration system today. We are spending this first hour hearing stories of immigrants only. Ed is a recent immigrant living in boley, maryland. Maryland. Bad. R both good and i am a professional. My wife is here. I came two years ago. I went through all the background checks, criminal background check, Health Background<\/a> check, professional background check with my professional board exams. I passed and i am working professionally. That they takes all my money from tax. That is the sad story. And they take, almost half of my money away from tax. It is a beautiful country. It is giving me the room to grow more professionally, but that is what i can say. Host were you not expecting the tax rate that you are in when you came to this country . Was that a surprise to you, in terms of what you would be paying in taxes . Or you are saying you pay more in taxes somehow . Caller the picture i had of america was the hollywood picture, everywhere beautiful, eating on the street and drinking wine. But when i came here having to work 12 hours and sometimes i do two jobs before i got my professional job. , my taked of the day home by the end of the day is like 40,000. I dont get it. It is still ridiculous. Are watching and listening to the tax reform debate on capitol hill, were you in favor of the tax reform debate . Caller yes, of course i am in favor of these tax cuts, but it is not clear what is going to happen. Nobody knows. The republicans dont know. The democrats dont know. Until we actually see what is going to happen to housing and it,s and everything about that is all we can say, is a good thing. Everybody wants their taxes to be cut. Host that is a call from maryland this morning. Some facts on immigrants, both lawful and illegal from the pew research center. Lawful immigrants accounted for three quarters of the foreignborn population in the United States<\/a>, 33. 8 Million People<\/a> out of 44. 7 million in 2017. The total foreignborn is somewhat below the historic high of 14. 8 in 1890 19. 2 Million Immigrants<\/a> lived in the United States<\/a>. About one Million Immigrants<\/a> receive lawful permanent resident status each year. Most are sponsored by family members. 51,000 people granted green cards, 64 were relatives of u. S. Citizens. Those stats from the pew research center. There are 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States<\/a> back in 2015. The u. S. Civilian workforce included 8 million unauthorized immigrants, accounting for 5 of those who were unemployed and looking for work. We will go through more of those ofs, plenty reports reports from pew and others. The 115th congress is complicated spending complicating spending debates. We are talking first to immigrants only, including william in tennessee who has been in the country for five years or longer. Caller good morning. I have been here since the year 2001. 21 days before nine 11. 9 411. [indiscernible] so the idea that i have come here to take jobs, the jobs that were open were lowpaying jobs and i refused to take it and i got my old job. That paid nine dollars. I went to school. I went to job corps. [indiscernible] moved to tennessee and [indiscernible] and then i quit that job. [indiscernible] because Company Stole<\/a> my money and nobody tried to help me out. [indiscernible] still, they are coming host you said you came in just before 9 11. Did you feel like there was a change in this country after 9 11 when i came to new immigrants like yourself . Caller yes, yes. [indiscernible] and they stayed there for two weeks and came to the u. S. The life of the migrant here is not that easy. We work hard. Jobse been working two since 2012. [indiscernible] paysome depot job just eight dollars. I said i want my money. In kenya and uganda, and my two little brothers. So i work all the time. From 2015, i started working two jobs. I was putting 70 hours a week. Host casey is in lanham, maryland, then in the country five years or longer. Caller good morning, how are you . Host doing well. When did you come to the country . Caller in 1980, so i have been here for a very long time. Almost 40 years. And it is interesting how the immigration issue is being used as a political football, especially by the republicans unfortunately. It is completely detached from reality. Aboutne or suggestion where we should go with immigration is not new. The elections were just held in alabama that led to the victory of the democrats. A big part of that is the immigrant population, the naturalized americans. Nobody looked at that. The reality is they overwhelmingly voted for the democrats. It was not even close, so the idea that somehow the democrats having aamed for problem with immigration policy is not connected to reality. This is a nation of immigrants. A nation built by immigrants. So Many Companies<\/a> were started by immigrants, and one of the isy reasons why america dealing with the issue on so many levels, a particular special breed. It takes a lot for a person to leave their country and go to another country, regardless of what their problem is. It is a very determined, purposeful person. That is why when they come here, they are generally more successful and educated than many natural born americans. That seed being planted is the reason why america is as great as it is. This president is himself a secondgeneration american and married to an immigrant several immigrants, actually. Being around people talking as if immigrants are a plague that need to be dealt with, in reality we should be encouraging emigration because that is how the country was built. Host casey from maryland, mentioning the president s tweets. Plenty of reaction. Here is jim himes, democrat out of connecticut. Congressman himes writing it was a bizarro tweet from the man who needlessly terminate terminated the daca program, throwing the lies of 800,000 young people into chaos and confusion. All daca junior not recipients are latino. That does not matter to you since you are just dog whistling to your base and the altright. The American People<\/a> see right through you, mr. Trump. Don bier, a democrat out of virginia reminding the president that he ended daca then you declare your intention to use dreamers as a bargaining chip to get money for the useless and deeply unpopular wall that you promised mexico would pay for. We are fighting to protect dreamers. Gabriel is waiting in clayton, North Carolina<\/a>, in the country for five years. Where did you come from originally . Caller from cuba. Herether had immigrated and also served in the army, and all of us had come from cuba and settled in america, and essentially walked through all the steps that were required to gain citizenship through the Legal Process<\/a> that was here. I want to say for one, good morning, and a personal thank you to brian lamb who heads this program and overall at cspan, is an excellent gentleman who does not get enough credit. Host i am sure he appreciates that. Caller i will run through and say, we started with nothing when we came here, absolutely nothing. The most important and critical element that has played into our history and trajectory as a family of immigrants, is our willingness to work exceptionally hard. That is missing in a lot of young people today. Fact,ot very old, and in there was a lot of struggles going on just to put food on the table to start out with in this country. But the opportunity was here, and that was the key. I can tell you through a long and arduous pathway that i am barely touching on today, i am a student at duke medical university. I will become a physician soon enough. That is what happens when people are allowed through programs like daca, to push that limit and go beyond where they thought they could not. Host you call it a long and arduous pathway. Is there a way for that pathway to be improved . Is it too arduous . Caller i think right now for the entire country, not specific to the immigrants, it is very hard for people to get ahead. In particular, millennials like myself which is part of what the daca folks are trying to say, there is not the same chance here that was therefore our parents or their parents in the country. , in large part to be fair, how donald trump has been able to infiltrate some of the masses, through a sentiment like that. To make the process easier, you have to take care of the people moving up and willing to dedicate themselves to hard work. Is whatain, to be fair is missing from the young people today. Host donald is waiting in madison, North Carolina<\/a>, also been here for five years. Caller i would be one of those that would be daca because i come in as a child. Than the other guy and i agree with a lot of the things he said. We had to go through the proper channels to get in, because i came from europe, denmark is where my family is from. America is all i know because i was three when we came here. The biggest thing was it was opportunity. I remember my father trying to get work and we were in North Carolina<\/a> and textiles were big. They were needing waivers and asking come weavers, and asking could he weve . They hired him and taught him how. He did not know. Them nowadays, the becauseople do not work we are trying to become more of a socialized country instead of an opportunity, like everybody i have listened to and even myself. I have never been without work. Host what should happen to the 700,000 to 800,000 Daca Recipients<\/a> right now . It is a program that President Trump<\/a> has said will end earlier this Year Unless Congress<\/a> acts. What would you like to see them do . Caller i think the ones that age like i did that did not come in the way that i did. Radar theed under the way that normal immigration goes through at the time, because times are always changing. I dont think they should be punished, but there is going to have to be something. And you have got to just like lowered,taxes being Everyone Wants<\/a> lower taxes that talks to you, everybody does. Want more money. But if you got more money going out the bucket, then that is what the problem is. Got a bottom so no matter how many taxes you put in, it will spend. Host one of the options that Many Democrats<\/a> are pushing is the socalled dream act, the Development Relief<\/a> and education for alien minors act. It gives legalization and a path to citizenship for more than 2 million socalled dreamers that would permit grant legal status as long as they meet certain requirements. It stipulates that eligible immigrants obtain a High School Degree<\/a> or ged, and role in higher education, obtain employment, or serve in the military. Background checks, english anguage proficiency, and criminal record clear of felonies or other serious crimes is required. Some history on the dream act, you will probably be hearing a lot more about it. You have been hearing more about it in recent months as this issue has been tied into the spending debate. Some in Congress Looking<\/a> for a grand deal that may deal with funding the government for the next year and this issue and the daca program. California,ity, been in the country for five plus years. Caller good morning. I came to this country 55 years ago as a nineyearold. I am now an american citizen. I am a 22 year retired military veteran. Conflicted about this immigration issue. We came here legally, my family did. Around, i guess it was 2013 when there were a lot of demonstrations and a lot of people who came here illegally were out in the streets demonstrating. My feeling on it was, who are they . They have no rights . Why are they complaining . Subsequently, i saw and felt the whole thing become targeted towards hispanics, pretty much. There is a wide variety of people that came here illegally. I felt that no attention was being paid to all the people that came here with a visa and overstayed from europe. They just kind of blended in, but there are a lot of them here. The originally from new york, i see a large being originally from new york, i see a Large Population<\/a> of people that came countries, andc no focus is paid on them. It is also of the border. With the president that we have now, it has taken on a somewhat racist tone to it. Anded towards hispanics blacks from the caribbean, pretty much. I feel the dreamers should be allowed, like myself. I came here, although legally, i assimilated. I am an american. I wife came here legally. She is chinese. We contribute to this country. My wife works for the state department. Racial andt is more this president has done nothing but be more divisive about it. Host we showed a couple of tweets from the president from the past 24 hours. Here he is talking a little more in depth about it at his last Cabinet Meeting<\/a> on december 20, and his outlook for Immigration Reform<\/a> and Homeland Security<\/a> as well. Importantly the funding and closing the loop holes that undermine our enforcement, and we will get rid of chain migration and the visa Lottery Program<\/a>. We have a Lottery Program<\/a> where we take in a lottery of people from other countries, and some places we are bringing in some very bad people. Through chain migration and the man that ran over people on the west side highway in manhattan a month ago, two months ago, he came in through the visa lottery. We do not want this group of people anymore. People met him in the neighborhood and they all said he was horrible, nasty, mean, would not talk to people. They could see it coming. They could actually see it coming. And they went back to the area where he lived, they could see it coming. When we take people in a lottery, they are not putting their best people. They are not saying, lets put our best people in the lottery so we can send them over to the United States<\/a>. They put their worst people in the lottery and that is what we get in many cases, so that will not be happening anymore. We are entering a lottery and chain migration, where in his may have had up to 24 people come in with him indirectly. They come in because one guy gets in, then you bring the whole family. Not a lot of jobs there either. Not a lot of working jobs. Host the president talking a bit about chain migration. Here is a story on that issue from todays Washington Post<\/a>. Immigration goal of reuniting families now demonized as chain migration, talking about the history of this topic and also, the trump administrations effort to put a definition on the term chain migration. The white house launched a Campaign Last<\/a> month with a slideshow, offering its own definition. The process by which foreign nationals permanently resettle in the u. S. And subsequently bring over their foreign relatives who have the opportunity to bring over their foreign relatives until the entire extended families are resettled in the country. Would called the rays act limit visa sponsorship to spouses and minor children of u. S. Citizens while implementing a meritbased system. That story in the Washington Post<\/a>. We are talking to immigrants only in this first hour of the washington journal in a threehour program in which we will be talking about immigration the entire show. Joe in sykesville, maryland has been in the country for more than five years. Where did you come from . Caller from the dominican republic. I was five years old, more than 35 years ago. I finished high school and joined the military for eight and a half years, multiple deployments, continued working fulltime, and finish my undergrad in information systems. I am a software engineer. Any of those things, you have to work hard. You have to work harder than people born here to get ahead. This president we have here now, he says i would not be here now. I cleared a large number of income last year. Wonder, how many people are coming here and being productive citizens . Host that is joe in sykesville, maryland. Line forr, we have a illegal, undocumented immigrants, 202 7488002. Also a line for recent immigrants who have been in the country less than five years, 202 7488000. We will try to get to as many of your stories as we can. We also have the line for immigrants who have been here is five plus years and raj on that line from herndon, virginia. Caller good morning. I want to make two points. Nobody talks about the nuances of certain things. Daca kids are not deportable because they have been, beyond five years it is beyond the statute of limitations. I personally have been in this country for the last 14 years legally, paying taxes, and we are all being told to wait because you guys have been coming the right way, you wait legally. But nobody is talking about this item where parts of dhs are trying to get us out of the country now. You guys are waiting here and we do not want so many people waiting in the line for green cards, so they are trying to get out 1. 5 Million People<\/a> waiting in line legally, and that is why we are supporting a bill, hr 92 for Illegal Immigrants<\/a> who are waiting in the country. These are then no one says that people need to understand, because what gets talked about in the media is not everything. Those efforts by the dhs impacted you personally . One, theys is number are resending one of the rules ding one of the rules for the spouses of dependence, they could not work before. The Obama Administration<\/a> passed educated people could work in this country. Dhs hastly enough, started the process to rescind that rule. Somewhere in may, june, my spouse will not be able to work. Stop thealso trying to extensions of h1b visas beyond years, and it is not there are not enough green cards available for permanent residence. The immigrants who come from countries in europe, they become permanent residents in america in six months to a year, but from india and china, we have the issues waiting. When you wait in line you are expected you are treated fairly, and right now due to all the actions going on behind the curtain where they are trying to needus out, you hear, you to do it legally and do it in the right channels, that is not necessarily true because even if you do that, you see these actions where the implied message that, we do not care if you are legal or illegal, we hate immigrants. Host raj talking about h1b , some information from cnns wrapup of the different type of visas. The h1b is especially a visa for workers, highly skilled professionals in engineering, technology, medicine, and higher education. There are three subcategories. One is a Free Trade Agreement<\/a> visa for workers from chile and singapore. The second is for specialists who will work on projects for the department of defense cooperative research and development program. The third is for fashion models. The United States<\/a> issued some 180,000 h1b visas in 2016. Immigrants only in this first hour. Line for immigrants who have been in the country for five immigrants,recent and illegal, undocumented immigrants. Steve is in chesapeake, virginia, then in the country for more than five years. 202 7488000 i came caller i came here in 1982 from czechoslovakia. I waited in germany for a year. I apply for a visa and got a visa and came here. I found a job within a month or so, and then i started my own business after five years. So this country has been very good to me. And i appreciate it. Hat is my story, basically i got married, raised a family. Now i hope to retire. My comment is that i think this country is going in the wrong direction. There is less and less democracy. I came here basically because i lived in a totalitarian, communist system and i am now seeing this country being turned into a different kind of totalitarian system. T is basically a plutocracy only two parties are allowed to participate in the political process. Everything is controlled by money. So what i would like to see is a multiparty system, similar to what exists in European Countries<\/a>. I would like to get rid of the electoral college, because if the guy who comes in as number two wins in the end, and that happened twice already since 2000, how can you possibly call it a democracy . Virginia, in alexandria, virginia on the line for those who have been in the country for five plus years. Caller i came from nigeria. Love the show. Host appreciate that. Tell us the story. Caller i came to southwestern virginia in 2001 to go to school. In 2005, my mother who had been playing the Lottery Program<\/a> since the 1990s, one a year after i turned 21, so her, my brother, and my father were the only ones who qualified to get a green card. Fast forward, she is a citizen and she applies for me because i am still in the country legally and everything. I get approved for the green card, but i have to go back to nigeria for my green card interview after living in the. Tates for over 10 years i uprooted myself, moved back to nigeria and waited for two years. Then i got my interview and green card and move back. I have been paying Social Security<\/a> and medicare and all of that since 2001, and now that i am a permanent alien, i still cannot get access to the benefits in order for me to get my green card. I had to prove i would not be a drain on to the system. I am a professional, i am a nurse, i have several degrees, and i work hard so it was disingenuous to hear other immigrants say that younger people do not want to work hard. Host how are you supposed to prove that . Caller do what . Host that you will not be a drain on the system. Caller they want to see my bank account. They wanted to see me, hear me speak. Go toondered where did i school, do i have proof of my degree . You have to look a certain way. You have to know the answer to certain questions. You have to know that those questions were going to be asked, because there are stories of people turned away at the interview because they did not answer whatever question. Host what do you mean by look a certain way . Caller you cannot go to the interview with jewelry because it may be perceived in a different way. Believe it or not, the embassy immigrants they look at us differently. It is something i have experienced a four, but you are looked upon differently when you are trying to better yourself. I am not sure why. I dont know. This discussion on the lottery system, all of a sudden this focus on that and the president saying it is a terrible system and a terrible way to let people in the country. Caller it is very thankful and personal, because there are so Many Americans<\/a> today you have , who aretheir lives doing big things in america because of this Lottery Program<\/a>. I came in, and i am sure there are other callers who have come in through this program, so it is painful the president wants to do away with it. I think it is wrong. Yes, there needs to be Immigration Reform<\/a>. I feel for the daca kids. They did not have a choice, but now that they are here they should be on a path to citizenship. Host appreciate your story. We are listening to the stories of immigrants all morning long, especially in this first hour when we are talking to immigrants only. I did want to point viewers back to what we talked about at the beginning of the program, that news out of washington yesterday that orrin hatch announced he will end a four decade congressional career at the close of 2018. The Washington Post<\/a> noting it unleashed the widespread presumption that mitt romney will seek his place in the senate. Hatch is 83 and a close ally of the president , decided to step down despite strong encouragement from the president to run for an eighth term in the senate. Romney, 70 years old, has not made any definitive statements about his public plans. I joined the people of utah in thinking my friend, orrin hatch four years of service. Orrin hatch adjust his retirement announcement in his own video addressed his retirement announcement in his own video. Only in a nation like ours, the scrappy son of a carpenter could grow up to become a United States<\/a> senator. I have a way sought to fight for those who could not fight for themselves, and the results speak for themselves. I have authored more bills have become law than any other member of congress today. I played a central role in the modern generic drug industry, the passage of the landmark americans with disabilities act, and the confirmation of every current member of the United States<\/a> supreme court. Just last month, i helped lead the effort to pass historic, comprehensive tax reform. One of my proudest legislative achievements is the religious act whichtack guarantees religious liberty for all americans. Utahthe president visited last month he said i was a fighter. I have always been a fighter. I was an amateur boxer in my youth and i brought that spirit with me to washington, but every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves. For me, that time is soon approach. I have decided to retire at the end of this term. Not the onlyatch longtime republican to announce. Is retirement yesterday bill shuster, republican chairman of the House Transportation Committee<\/a> announced he would retire at the end of this term. He joins house judiciary Committee Chairman<\/a> Bob Goodlatte<\/a> and lamar smith of texas, Jeb Hensarling<\/a> of texas in heading for the exits. The Washington Times<\/a> pointing out that all four are entering their sixth year as chairman on republican committees and would have given up their gavels in the next congress. A lot of news on the retirement front. Those members are sticking through their term and will be involved in the immigration debate as well. We are hearing from immigrants only in our first hour. ,he line for recent immigrants those who have been in the u. S. For five plus years, and those who are Illegal Immigrants<\/a>. Alex on the line for Illegal Immigrants<\/a> from burlington, new jersey. Where did you come from . Caller i came from brazil around 13 years ago. I am so poor over there, i tried my visa. Host you tried your visa . Go ahead. Turn your tv down. Iller i tried my visa, so came here and i am so free. I do not speak english, i speak spanish. I speak portuguese only. So when i come here, i start working, making little money, making nothing. I tried to grow my life, like the american dream. One guy offered for me a painters job. The company is american. I am not speaking english. I start to watch all day all night and learning english with a cartoon. My dreams, im going to open a company because i am making money for somebody. I learned later english and five years later, i opened my own company. I am still illegal. I start to sell my jobs. My life started growing. What i am trying to say is thank you for america, thank you for everything. I still do not have my green card or a social. I have my tax id to pay, pay taxes. Thoughtve you ever about getting on the right side of the law . Cannot beah, but you a company if you have a w seven. , and alsoan pay a tax i buy my own house. Work, america to is a big book. Each chapter you can do something. If you follow the law, america is great. For me, america is like my mother. I have three american kids, one brazilian, and i support my whole family. I have three employers and i keep going. I wait for my green card. One day it is going to come, i know, because i do everything right. It is my dream, two cars. I wife do a house clean business and we do not have papers yet. Host why are you so certain your green card will come . Congress, thatat the legislation will be passed for some sort of amnesty for Illegal Immigrants<\/a> . Caller i tried to work with a lawyer and the lawyers say, dont do nothing right now because the Congress Going<\/a> to change it. I waited for whatever the lawyer tell me, because i have to follow the law. I cannot go crazy and try to do this and that, because of people married, they have some problems. I want to do everything 100 right to not have any problems in the future. That is my point. So i go slowly and i try to protect myself in the future. Some people married to somebody, pay money. I do not want to do nothing this. I want to wait for my time, and i know it will come. America, i would say thank you for everything. Host thanks for your call from new jersey. In baldwin place, new york, david is a recent immigrant, less than five years in the country. Where did you come from . Caller i am here more than five years. , fromrom iran, ironically which i ran in 1979. Ever since then, my wife and i have three degrees, including two doctoral degrees degrees. Have immensely contributed toward the advancement of this great nation, and we are. Hankful for all of that u. S. Born children, each have their own degrees. This is what the true academy of animate a pity me epitome of an American Life<\/a> is. I hope we do not regress back to some of the government attitude in European Countries<\/a> with respect to immigrants. Over the paste year or two that we are regressing, and we always knew a major portion of the american populace seemed to resent the idea of immigrants having arrived generations after them. One thing we were really caught off guard is that now, such sentiment on the part of jane doe and joe schmoe will now be really driven to the white house and to the government, and that is why we believe that this country has enough checks and balances that all that has to be mitigated and corrected. Really like any other country, i think this country could immensely benefit from a periodical constitutional convention, every 50 or 100 years, to critically examine checks and balances, laws and statutes, and correct it. Otherwise, i am afraid we will wind up having the same destructive revolutions as many other countries go through every 50 to 100 years. I hope that we can avoid that. Host a few tweets as we have been having this conversation this morning. John in North Carolina<\/a> writes numeral North Carolina<\/a>, the schools have been obliterated by illegals. Who would move into a third world like School System<\/a> . Kevin says congress should pass the dream act. Illegal immigration is at a 45 45 year low, so forget the expensive and unnecessary wall. I want to remind you today about what is happening on capitol hill, the second session of the 115th Congress Officially<\/a> convening pursuant to the u. S. Constitution, and in the senate, a few new faces today including that of now former Lieutenant Governor<\/a> tina smith of minnesota. She will be sworn in wednesday to take over the seat of former senator al franken. Mark eight and picked his second in command last month dayton picked his second in command last month. We will be seeing officially senator doug jones of alabama, democrat. Doug jones is set to be sworn in as alabamas nudist newest senator. With a narrow majority, the wall street journal notes the republicans can lose no more than one republican vote and still confirm Donald Trumps<\/a> policies. Inbecame the first democrat alabama to win that senate seat in 25 years. Tom has been in the u. S. More than five years, from california. Where did you come from . Caller i came from canada. My father was in the service and we traveled. But i have been here all my life, since 1964. I am 63 years old. I brought my wife here on a fiancee visa but i married her in the philippines. The problem i see in america now is that the children dont appreciate what we have. The third world countries that come here has such a greater appreciation for the education, for the work environment, and to make Something Big<\/a> out of themselves. The, they dont want government does not want to let them in. The fear that i have now is that jerry brown just signed a document saying that china owns california, and also President Trump<\/a>. He also sure cams with mexicos president , saying shook hands with mexicos president , saying i will give you this border. This is just a big story that will go bad for a lot of people. They are corralling names, getting them ready, and they can very easily eliminate them and know where they live. Host eliminate how . Deportation . Caller yes, they can deport them so easily. When you put your name on a list and you are in a waiting line, it is just a matter of time. Either accept you or reject you. Even if you get a green card they could so easily send you back on the slightest degree of failure or weakness, and they will say host so you think the people who signed up for the daca program under the Obama Administration<\/a>, you think they made the wrong choice","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"archive.org","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","width":"800","height":"600","url":"\/\/ia600409.us.archive.org\/8\/items\/CSPAN_20180103_150200_Washington_Journal_Open_Phones\/CSPAN_20180103_150200_Washington_Journal_Open_Phones.thumbs\/CSPAN_20180103_150200_Washington_Journal_Open_Phones_000001.jpg"}},"autauthor":{"@type":"Organization"},"author":{"sameAs":"archive.org","name":"archive.org"}}],"coverageEndTime":"20240630T12:35:10+00:00"}