In response to recent discussions about immigration, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) posted several tweets tonight advocating for a merit-based immigration system, instead of one based on family connections or country of origin diversity.

The tweets were also a pushback on President Donald Trump’s comments today during an immigration meeting with Congressional leaders, in which he reportedly referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and African counties as being “sh**hole countries,” and questioned why we allowed so many immigrants from those places.

As Rubio noted, Florida has many immigrants from Haiti and El Salvador, “troubled nations” where the people have “suffered as a result of bad leaders, rampant crime & natural disasters.” However, when they come to America, they “contribute to our economy through hard work & entrepreneurship,” and have served in our armed forces, some even tragically giving their lives for our country.

Today’s “skills based economy,” in Rubio’s opinion, meant that the solution is to move to a merit-based immigration system, to evaluate immigrants individually on who they are, instead of one based on family connections or country of origin.

In a skills based economy,we can no longer decide who we allow to immigrate here primarily based on what country they are coming from 1/7

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 12, 2018

The decision on whether to allow someone to immigrate here should be based primarily on who they are,not where they are coming from 2/7

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 12, 2018

That’s why we need to move from family based to merit based immigration & why we should eliminate country of origin based diversity visa 3/7

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 12, 2018

But that’s also why we should evaluate immigrants based on WHO they are & not on the problems that exist in the nation of their birth 4/7

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 12, 2018

For example,for decades the people of #ElSalvador & #Haiti have suffered as a result of bad leaders, rampant crime & natural disasters 5/7

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 12, 2018

#Florida is home to many people who came from these troubled nations & contribute to our economy through hard work & entrepreneurship 6/7

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 12, 2018

And Florida is home to people from these two countries whose children have fought for & even tragically died in the service of America 7/7

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 12, 2018

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