Donald Trump booed in his first State of the Union after hitting out at ‘chain migration’

US President Donald Trump was booed by Democrats after he criticised “chain migration” during his first State of the Union address.

Chain migration is a practice in which family members come to join immigrants who have settled in America. Mr Trump has long bemoaned the practice as a means for terrorists and “truly evil people” to enter the country and he used his address to lay out his own immigration plan which he claimed would “protect the nuclear family by ending chain migration”.

Trump said: “Under the current broken system, a single immigrant can bring in virtually unlimited numbers of distant relatives. Under our plan, we focus on the immediate family by limiting sponsorships to spouses and minor children. This vital reform is necessary, not just for our economy, but for our security, and our future.”

His comment was followed by grumbles and boos from Democrats in the audience, many of whom had brought immigrants with them as their guests to the event.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi later tweeted about Trump’s comment, writing: “Reminder: when @realDonaldTrump says we need to end ‘chain migration,’ he means we need to stop making it a priority to keep families together.”