Impact of Immigration Policies on Legal Immigration

The Trump administration is focusing on reducing legal immigration as part of its broader immigration policy agenda. Despite significant concerns about illegal immigration, analysis shows that the number of legal immigrants far exceeds that of illegal immigrants, with over a million visas issued monthly compared to about 50,000 border arrests. This suggests that even modest cuts to legal immigration could have a more substantial impact than significant cuts to illegal immigration. Historical data indicates that legal immigration declined sharply during the previous Trump administration, with immigrant visas for new permanent residents dropping by 80% from 2016 to the end of 2020.