Trump opens door to immigration reform, urges tax cuts in speech

President Donald Trump opened the door on Tuesday to a broad overhaul of the U.S. immigration system and vowed to pursue massive tax relief for the middle class in a speech to Congress as he sought to rebound from a chaotic start to his presidency.

"The time for small thinking is over. The time for trivial fights is behind us," Trump said in his nationally televised speech.

Trump used the address to outline what he would like to accomplish during his first year in office from reforming healthcare and taxes to strengthening U.S. borders and fighting Islamic militants.

He said a broad immigration plan was possible if both Republicans and Democrats in Congress were willing to compromise. He was vague on the details.

"I believe that real and positive immigration reform is possible, as long as we focus on the following goals: to improve jobs and wages for Americans, to strengthen our nation's security, and to restore respect for our laws," said the Republican president, who took a hard line against illegal immigrants in his 2016 campaign.

Trump called on the Republican-led Congress to repeal and replace former Democratic President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law known as Obamacare with reforms that expand choice, increase access and lower costs, according to the speech excerpts.

Trump also said his administration was developing a tax-cut proposal for corporations and "massive" tax relief for the middle class.

(Additional reporting by Richard Cowan, Ayesha Rascoe, Jeff Mason, Emily Stephenson and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Peter Cooney)