Proposed Legislation
Received support from Trump on August 2, 2017
Policy Summary
On August 2nd Trump announced his support for a Senate Bill titled: Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act (RAISE Act). The most devastating consequence of the RAISE Act would be a 50% reduction in legal immigration to the United States. This drop would occur as the bill would scrap the current U.S. immigration system (which relies largely on family ties), in favor of a merit based point based system. In the system, points would be awarded for things such as education, job offer, age and outstanding achievement. Click here for a more detailed look at the points system. The bill does not stop there, as it also looks to drastically cut a number of refugees entering the United States to just 50,000. And additionally, would end the Diversity Visa Program, which allows those from underserved countries to gain visas. LEARN MORE
Analysis
There is no evidence that a reduction in legal immigration would result in higher wages or more jobs for American citizens. In fact the result of this bill would be disastrous for both American workers and the economy as a whole. To see why one only needs to look at the previous times immigration was restricted. For example, following the three previous times legal immigration was severely restricted (1882, 1924 and 1964) higher wages and more jobs did materialize. To make matters worse now would be a particularly bad time to restrict immigration, as the U.S population is aging and workforce participation is at record lows. Pairing restrictions on immigration with an aging population is a toxic mix that stifles economic growth. Japan serves as a stark reminder of this, as their decision to limit low-skill immigration has left the country with slow economic growth due to a deficit of workers. This bill must be stopped as it will have disastrous consequences, for the US economy and its workers.LEARN MORE
Engagement Resources
- Take Action with United We Dream: United We Dream is the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the nation. They organize and advocate for the dignity and fair treatment of immigrant youth and families, regardless of immigration status.
- Get involved with the American Civil Liberties Union: The ACLU is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose stated mission is “to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United
- Find a Congressional Town Hall Meeting Near You: Search by town and state or zip code to find a congressional Town Hall scheduled near you. Voice your concerns about the RAISE ACT and directly to your Representative or Senator.
This brief was compiled by William Lucier. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact william@usresistnews.org.
