On Tuesday, President Trump told reporters at the White House that he would be interested in working to pass an immigration reform bill that would allow a pathway to status for undocumented immigrants, provided there was “compromise on both sides” of the aisle.

In his speech before Congress however, President Trump made no mention of such a plan, but instead echoed familiar rhetoric associating immigrants with crime. Rather than confirming his interest in providing undocumented persons a pathway to legal status, President Trump suggested that the U.S. immigration system should be reformed towards a “merit-based system,” which would place a priority on prospective immigrants’ skills and employability over their family ties to green-card-holders and U.S. citizens. In support of his merit-based approach, President Trump stated: “It’s a basic principle that those seeking to enter a country ought to be able to support themselves financially, yet in America, we do not enforce this rule, straining the very public resources that our poorest citizens rely upon. Switching away from this current system of lower-skilled immigration, and instead adopting a merit-based system, we will have so many more benefits.”

Trump’s statements represent the latest in a long line of mixed messages regarding his immigration policy. Though he campaigned on a promise to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants and build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, he simultaneously stated he was open to “softening” his stance on immigration. During his presidency, Trump has vastly expanded ICE enforcement priorities and has introduced sweeping plans to restrict incoming immigration. And although Trump’s recent statements on immigration reform signal the possibility that he will take a more moderate approach toward the subject, many remain skeptical in light of his record.