Kushner briefed Senate Republicans on his immigration plan. They left with lots of unanswered questions.


Jared Kushner, President Trump's senior advisers and son-in-law, briefed Senate Republicans Tuesday on his plan to overhaul America's immigration system. Senators emerged describing the plan as a set of goals designed more to unify Republicans ahead of the 2020 election than to be turned into law. Kushner got lots of pointed questions during the meeting, The Washington Post reports, and senators didn't get many answers.
Publicly, several GOP senators gave Kushner two cheers for presenting his ideas, which include moving immigration policy toward a merit-based system that favors higher-skilled immigrants using a point system, preceded by a mandatory civics test, the Post reports. "But privately, Republican officials said Kushner did not have clear answers to some questions from the friendly audience, prompting Trump's other senior adviser, Stephen Miller, to interrupt at times and take over the conversation. ... Some GOP senators left the meeting wondering whether Kushner understood the issue."
Specifically, Kushner told Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) his plan wouldn't address DACA recipients, making it a nonstarter with Democrats; couldn't answer Sen. John Cornyn's (R-Texas) question about what happens with the 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the U.S.; and "confused the senators when he said a central principle in his immigration plan would be to unify immigrant families, including mothers and children," the Post reports. Cornyn declined to comment on the meeting. Collins told the Post afterward she's "concerned about the fate of the DACA young people, and they cannot be excluded from any immigration package."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"He's in his own little world," one individual familiar with the meeting told the Post. "There were a number of instances where people had to step in and answer questions because he couldn't." A senior administration officials said Kushner offered "a detailed proposal that we can unify Republicans around," but "we aren't giving details out because we don't want details to be leaked." Read more at The Washington Post.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
October 14 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Tuesday's political cartoons include peace in Palestine, government playoffs, and barking up Pam Bondi's tree
-
Taking the low road: why the SNP is still standing strong
Talking Point Party is on track for a fifth consecutive victory in May’s Holyrood election, despite controversies and plummeting support
-
Has the Gaza deal saved Netanyahu?
Today's Big Question With elections looming, Israel’s longest serving PM will ‘try to carry out political alchemy, converting the deal into political gold’
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia James
Speed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents
-
Judge blocks Trump’s Guard deployment in Chicago
Speed Read The president is temporarily blocked from federalizing the Illinois National Guard or deploying any Guard units in the state
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leaders
Speed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats