Trump Seems Adamant To Go With Immigration Agenda Despite Election Losses

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Nov, 2018 ) ::President Donald Trump seems adamant on pursuing his agenda to reform immigration laws in spite of losses his party suffered in the mid-term polls, as his administration said it was moving ahead with a plan to clamp down on asylum claims as part of efforts to control illegal immigration.

Republicans lost House of Representatives to Democrats in this week polls, ending a one-party rule at least until President Trump's term ends in 2020, but his whirling election campaign did help the Republicans defend their majority in Senate, and even make some gains.

Among other issues, President Trump used immigration to ignite his supporters' base mainly in the rural areas which helped him clinched the presidency in an unexpected win in the 2016 presidential elections.

Two days after the polls results, the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security on Thursday issued a joint rule prohibiting certain people, who are apprehended while crossing the US southern border from Mexico, from claiming asylum.

According to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, migrants can claim asylum irrespective of how they crossed the border.

But the new law would require people to go to a legal port of entry to make a claim for asylum.

The new role is expected to face legal hurdles from rights groups and opposition from a rejuvenated Democrats, who will take control of the House in January.

The new immigration rule to curb asylum claims comes less than two weeks after President Trump sparked a new debate by saying he wants to deny the citizenship to babies born in the US to non-citizen parents.

He said he would use his executive authority to take back the practice of granting citizenship to babies born in the US as provided by the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.

His remarks drew an immediate reaction from across the aisle, with the outgoing Republican Speaker Paul Ryan saying that the President could not do away with birthrights just by his executive order. But, there were also voices in his support. According to the 14th amendment All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and the subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside." Those with a more rigid position on the immigration have long argued that the 14th amendment was not applicable to illegal immigrants or those here on a temporary visa.

President Trump has in the past aired his opposition to the birthright and now says he can do that through executive order.

The new asylum rule will intensify court battles amid a long march by thousands of South Americans who were heading to the US in a caravan through Mexico to claim asylum.

The new rule intends to target these people.

President has called it an "invasion" of criminals and drug dealers had ordered deployment of troops to prevent them from entering the United States.