The President of the United States introduced, with two members of congress, the RAISE Act. The information presented in the speech was wrong and the underlying reasons were wrong. Below I have included the statements, word for word of the President, and my comments in red. I have also included a link to the bill for those who would like to read it for themselves. https://www.cotton.senate.gov/files/documents/170802_New_RAISE_Act_Bill_Text.pdf
My view point on this bill is that it does not do what it intends with the exception of reducing legal immigration. The reduction comes not from employment based but family based.
If you plan on sponsoring your parents or brothers and sisters for a “green card”, this bill would keep that from happening.
Remarks by President Trump
The RAISE Act — R-A-I-S-E — the RAISE Act will reduce poverty, increase wages, and save taxpayers billions and billions of dollars. It will do this by changing the way the United States issues Green Cards to nationals from other countries. Green Cards provide permanent residency, work authorization, and fast track to citizenship.
Wrong, green cards are evidence of permanent residency, work authorization is included as part of residency and does not give any fast tract to citizenship.
For decades, the United States was operated and has operated a very low-skilled immigration system, issuing record numbers of Green Cards to low-wage immigrants. This policy has placed substantial pressure on American workers, taxpayers and community resources. Among those hit the hardest in recent years have been immigrants and, very importantly, minority workers competing for jobs against brand-new arrivals. And it has not been fair to our people, to our citizens, to our workers.
Our immigration system does not operate on a low-skilled basis, only one category allows workers without a bachelor degree or higher all other require a higher level of education than found in most of the United States.
The RAISE Act ends chain migration, and replaces our low-skilled system with a new points-based system for receiving a Green Card. This competitive application process will favor applicants who can speak English, financially support themselves and their families, and demonstrate skills that will contribute to our economy.
The RAISE Act prevents new migrants and new immigrants from collecting welfare, and protects U.S. workers from being displaced. And that’s a very big thing. They’re not going to come in and just immediately go and collect welfare. That doesn’t happen under the RAISE Act. They can’t do that. Crucially, the Green Card reforms in the RAISE Act will give American workers a pay raise by reducing unskilled immigration.
New immigrants cannot accept means tested benefits now, this includes welfare, section 8 housing and others. Prior to an employer hiring a immigrant, the employer must prove to the satisfaction of the Department of Labor that there are no U.S. workers ready willing and able to take the job.
End of Remarks and comments
The RAISE act is a bill at this time, it is not law. If you plan on petitioning your family members in the future, I suggest you contact your congressmen and make sure this bill never becomes law.
U.S. Senate: https://www.senate.gov/
The House of Representatives: https://www.house.gov/
[contentblock id=5 img=gcb.png]