Donald Trump is already taking steps to curb legal immigration — at least of people seeking safety in the U.S.
Flights have been canceled for refugees who followed a lengthy process to come to the U.S. legally, including for nearly 1,660 Afghans — some families of U.S. service members — already cleared for resettlement here. At the southern border, people seeking to follow the legal process to ask for asylum are being turned away.
Trump and Republicans typically frame the restrictions as meant to combat unauthorized immigration. But experts and immigration advocates said the new restrictions on legal pathways show that Trump’s efforts are less about securing the border and more about targeting immigration in general.