The Trump administration’s stance on immigration was solidified in the Americans First Immigration Act introduced by Republican Representative Barry Moore recently. Anvitii Rai explains what it stipulates, where it fits in the Republican agenda, and why there might not be cause for concern just yet
What does the new Act propose?
The Americans First Immigration Act seeks to overhaul the US’s immigration system by scrapping most family sponsorship categories and ending the diversity visa lottery system. The Act “restores fairness and accountability by protecting American jobs, prioritising the nuclear family, and ensuring that every immigrant admitted is prepared to contribute and succeed,” Rep. Moore has said.
Introduced in the House of Representatives, it proposes to restrict visa sponsorship to spouse and minor children. Skilled workers would be recruited based on their educational background, proficiency in English, high-paying job offers, military service, and extraordinary achievements. However, it preserves the 3,000-visa cap for religious workers. Employers would be required to prioritise American workers and “ensure foreign labour does not displace US workers.” Finally, the Act would streamline immigration to “focus on long-term economic contribution and assimilation.”
H-1B visas focus of a second Act
Meanwhile, the end H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026 proposed by Rep. Eli Crane, aims to overhaul the H-1B programme by reducing the annual cap from 65,000 to 25,000, setting a $200,000 minimum salary, and a 3-year pause on new visas to prioritise American workers. It seeks to end the lottery, ban third-party staffing, eliminate Optional Practical Training and restrict green card transitions.
Trump admin’s immigration ideology
The Americans First Act seeks to codify many of the steps already taken by the US administration to tighten immigration pathways. President Donald Trump has been vocal about the America First narrative, so much so that his campaigns have been based on this ideology. This is also not the first time the Trump administration has attempted to rejig immigration. In 2017, the RAISE (Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment) Act had sought to cut immigration to the US by halving the number of green cards issued and ending the diversity lottery, along with capping refugee visas and limiting family-based immigration.
How US immigration laws have evolved
US Immigration policy has evolved over time, often reflecting shifting political and economic priorities. The current system is broadly based on the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, whose cornerstones are family reunification, labour needs, and humanitarian protection. The Immigration Act of 1990 introduced the Diversity Visa Program, creating a lottery-based pathway for immigration.
However, in recent times, the stance on immigration has mirrored the uncertain political scenario. The Trump administration’s attempt to tighten immigration is reflected in measures such as travel restrictions targeting several Muslim-majority countries and stricter enforcement through Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The proposed Americans First Act stipulates to change this fundamental base—from family reunification and labour needs to a more restrictive, merit-based system.
In December 2025, Trump had paused the green card lottery system in the wake of two shootings on college campuses, and in September, he signed an executive order placing restrictions on the issuance of H-1B visas.
Is there cause for worry?
Not really. To reach the president’s desk, they first need to be presented before and then cleared by the House Judiciary Committee. Then, they have to win vote thresholds in the House of Representatives as well as in the Senate. All this is happening in an election year, which makes passing a Bill with such a strong agenda unlikely. Also, many of Trump’s immigration laws (such as a move to block birthright citizenship) have been frozen by courts.
However, this is a development that future immigrants should keep tracking. Currently, even as the checks and balances provided by the US Constitution are acting like guardrails, an AP review found that in the first 15 months since Trump returned to office, district court judges ruled the administration was violating an order in at least 31 lawsuits over a wide range of issues, including mass layoffs, deportations, spending cuts and immigration practices.
Critical voices
Trump’s views on immigration have been criticised by economists, policy-makers, and politicians. A 2025 CNBC report had insights from economists, with the consensus being that the immigration slowdown was affecting the labour force growth rate, a marker of economic growth for the US. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was quoted, “Because of immigration policy really, the flow into our labour forces is just a great deal slower.”
Policymakers’ criticisms have been based on the stance being another extreme, stating that instead of dismantling the system, the emphasis should be on modernising it. Democrats as well as the occasional Republican have also been vocal against the administration’s anti-immigration stance.
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives Hakeem Jefferies has said, “Extreme proposals that criminalise immigrants and restrict legal pathways don’t fix a broken system — they undermine our values and distract from real solutions.”