On Monday, the Republican Party officially adopted a platform embracing the controversial immigration proposals made by the Presidential candidate, Donald Trump. This includes a commitment to construct a wall on the border between the United States and Mexico. The document, which is a blueprint for the agenda of the party for this year’s Congressional and Presidential elections, has been much-anticipated and was agreed on via a voice vote on the floor at Cleveland’s Republican national convention.
Donald Trump’s influence on the outcome of the vote is clear, although with the contents being largely revealed at last week’s Republican platform committee there were few surprises, with much of it dealing with the candidate’s signature issues of trade policy and immigration reform.
The platform calls for a border wall and demands protection for all ports of entry to the United States, taking a hard line on the immigration issue. The document states that the wall should cover the whole of the southern border and be capable of stopping pedestrians and vehicles. It shows little sympathy for the plight of undocumented immigrants, describing President Barack Obama’s 2012 and 2014 executive orders to spare some immigrants from deportation as “unlawful amnesties” and calling for them to be rescinded immediately by a Republican President.
Although the GOP agenda does not endorse the possible ban on Muslim immigration suggested by Trump, it does want to see changes to the methods used to grant entry to asylum seekers and refugees.