According to a senior administration official, the president is considering a bill that would allow illegal immigrants in Maryland and elsewhere to stay in the country. The bill would let undocumented immigrants remain in the U.S. without fear of being deported so long as they do not commit serious or violent crimes. The president spoke about the idea of a compromise bill in his address to the joint session of Congress.
However, the president also stated that he still intends to go forward with other aspects of his immigration plan, including what has been called extreme vetting. He also still plans to work to reduce the number of low-skilled workers coming into the country and to implement a merit-based immigration system.
It also appears that while the president may be willing to allow undocumented immigrants to stay in the country, he has no plans to create a path to citizenship for the majority of these individuals. However, he may consider allowing children brought to the U.S. to become citizens. Allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the country is an apparent departure from what the president campaigned on, and at various times, he called for deporting all of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country.
The issue of immigration has become very complex especially since President Trump seems to be interested in changing laws and regulations related to legal and illegal immigration. As a result, it can be very difficult and confusing for people who are applying for visas and green cards to know the best way to do so and how the process works, and they thus may need the help of an experienced attorney.