Trump and Senators Cotton and Perdue Propose "RAISE Act:" Prioritizes Merit and Skill in Immigration, Cuts Legal Immigration in Half

I doubt this can even get past a filibuster, but it's time to at least start having this debate.

"RAISE" stands for "Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy." Eh, these names are kinda dumb, but that one's okay.

The legislation, called The Raise Act, aims to replace the current permanent employment-immigration framework, which has been characterized by the Trump administration as a "lottery system," with what it is calling a skill-based system that operates on the basis of individual merits. The new competitive application process will favor those who possess skills that will benefit the U.S. economy, can speak english [sic] and are able to financially support themselves and their families, Trump said....

The Trump administration’s goal is to prevent low-skilled American workers from being undercut by immigrants with a comparable level of expertise. Sen. Cotton said Wednesday the current system places "great downward pressure on people who work with their hands and work on their feet."

The White House also believes this transformation could raise wages and protect taxpayers by potentially decreasing the number of immigrant families that rely on welfare. More than 50% of all immigrant households receive welfare benefits, while 30% of native households do, according to the administration.

More details from National Review.

The bill has two other key provisions that immigration hawks will like. The first addresses the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, which makes 50,000 visas available annually to entrants from countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S. The "diversity lottery" serves no clear economic or humanitarian aims, and it doesn't promote any substantive diversity. The RAISE Act would end the program.

posted by Ace at 12:10 PM

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