(Bloomberg) -- Michael Bloomberg proposed an immigration plan similar to proposals from his moderate Democratic presidential rivals that includes reversing President Donald Trump's policies, creating a path to U.S. citizenship for undocumented residents and allowing “place-based” visas.
Bloomberg's plan contains many of the same elements as those offered by Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg. They include rescinding Trump's travel ban, ending family separations at the border, protecting so-called dreamers -- young adults who were brought illegally to the U.S. as children -- as well as increasing the cap on resettling refugees and updating the asylum process.
The former New York mayor does not go as far as progressive rivals Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who would decriminalize migration. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.
“Immigration doesn't threaten America, it strengthens America,” Bloomberg said in a statement Monday. “America doesn't need more of Trump's fear mongering -- what we need is a modern immigration system that honors our history and readies us for the future.”
Bloomberg would expand temporary worker visas to address labor shortages and allow certain localities to petition for “place-based” immigrant visas to meet economic or social needs in their communities. He would also allow more opportunities for foreign-born doctors, nurses and other health professionals to address the shortage of health-care workers in under-served areas.
Biden's plan also envisions creating a new visa category to allow cities and counties to petition for higher levels of immigrants to support their needs if employers can certify there are available jobs. Buttigieg proposes a “local Community Renewal” visa targeted toward counties that have lost workers during the past decade and struggling smaller cities requesting immigrants with specific experience.
Bloomberg previously released an agenda targeting Latino voters that includes elements of his proposed changes to the immigration system.
To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Niquette in Columbus at mniquette@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Michael Shepard, John Harney
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