'Anti-Immigration and Tax Cuts' Trump Re-Election Policies Gain Momentum

Mnuchin Finance Secretary Announces Tax Cut Policy 2.0
Policy to Deny Tourist Visas for Pregnant Women Seeking Overseas Birth
Additional Entry Bans for 7 Countries Expected
Criticism of "No Free Tax Cuts" Amid Reelection Strategy Implementation

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. President Donald Trump is stepping up his policy efforts for re-election. Even as the Senate impeachment proceedings against him are underway, he is notably expanding anti-immigration policies while appealing to public sentiment through tax cut policies.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 23rd (local time), U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that the U.S. government is preparing a second phase of tax cuts. In an interview with CNBC, he stated, "President Trump has instructed the preparation of Tax 2.0 policies for the middle class."

Secretary Mnuchin introduced the Trump administration’s intention to roll out additional tax cuts despite the U.S. fiscal deficit increasing to the trillion-dollar level this year due to continuous tax cut policies since President Trump took office. President Trump has also mentioned that he will announce tax cut policies for the middle class within 90 days.

Although the U.S. economy has not reached the promised annual growth rate of over 3% since the implementation of the tax cut policy, Mnuchin believes that the tax cuts are producing sufficient effects.

Mnuchin predicted, "Additional tax cuts will be able to support economic growth." However, he also suggested that measures are being sought to address the expanding fiscal deficit, saying, "There is a need to reduce government spending."

Mnuchin repeatedly emphasized that the target of the additional tax cut policy is the middle class. While previous tax cuts focused on corporations, this time the aim is to reduce the tax burden on individuals. This policy is interpreted as targeting the middle-class vote ahead of the year-end presidential election. Previously, the Trump administration implemented a massive tax cut amounting to $1.5 trillion at the end of 2017.

Mnuchin stated, "President Trump feels that the middle class pays too much in taxes and believes support for the middle class should be strengthened."

While the tax cut policy directly targets benefits for the middle class, the anti-immigration policy is understood as a move to appeal to conservative backlash against immigrants spread across the U.S.

The U.S. State Department announced regulations on the same day to strengthen the screening process for tourist visa issuance to prevent "birth tourism" aimed at acquiring citizenship.

The State Department regulation, effective from the 24th, classifies pregnant women visiting the U.S. primarily for birth tourism as ineligible for the tourist 'B visa.'

Accordingly, consular officers interviewing visa applicants must refuse visa issuance if they have reason to believe that the pregnant applicant intends to give birth in the U.S. for citizenship purposes.

Furthermore, pregnant women visiting the U.S. for medical necessity must prove they have the ability to cover transportation, living expenses, and medical costs.

The U.S. Constitution automatically grants citizenship to children born on U.S. soil. Consequently, the practice of entering the U.S. on tourist visas to give birth and secure U.S. citizenship for children has become widespread, drawing strong criticism domestically.

The Wall Street Journal reported that while this measure does not violate the Constitution, it is a minimal countermeasure to prevent automatic citizenship grants. However, the Journal also pointed out that since tourist visas are valid for 10 years, there is no way to prevent entry if the visa is obtained before pregnancy.

Previously, President Trump expressed his intention to abolish birthright citizenship, but the plan was not implemented due to growing opposition. Regarding this, the White House stated in a release that "this measure will enhance public safety, national security, and the U.S. immigration system."

Additionally, the anticipated announcement next week of further travel bans on seven countries including Nigeria and Myanmar is also interpreted as a policy riding on anti-immigration sentiment.

There is also growing backlash against these election-targeted policies. The New York Times editorial stated, "The Trump administration is misleadingly portraying the 2017 tax cut policy as successful, but the resulting burdens continue to increase," and argued, "There is no such thing as a free tax cut." Although the editorial was not directly aimed at Secretary Mnuchin’s remarks, it clearly expresses opposition to the U.S. government’s policy direction.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.