The proposed legislation of Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and David Perdue, R-Ga., is the first sensible legislation dealing with the immigration chaos since 1986. RAISE, Reforming American Immigration for a Stronger Economy, will be the first rational step in a long-awaited journey to correct the American immigration chaos.
Cleaning up the U.S. immigration mess is a herculean task, especially because of entrenched ideologues of both political parties. The most logical approach is incremental correction of the immigration chaos. One step at a time — RAISE is the first step.
Prior efforts at comprehensive immigration reform were failures even with alleged bipartisan support. RAISE is a new beginning.
RAISE would spur economic growth, and raise the wages of working Americans. It will also reduce overall immigration numbers by half in the coming years. In addition, it would rid the nation of the inane Diversity Visa Lottery (DVL).
The reduction of immigration numbers would mean financial benefits for federal, state, and local governments — and their taxpayers. Each of the governments would save real money in education, healthcare, and social welfare costs.
Of course, there is the knee-jerk reaction from Democrats and some Republicans who present nonsensical opposition — making the perfect the enemy of the good.
Any Republican immigration legislation meant to do away with chaos will be staunchly opposed by Democrats.
Democrats can’t let this happen. Chaos is a means of continued entitlements for illegal aliens, which also means more taxes for American citizens. To Democrats, entitlements mean socialization and government control of the people receiving those benefits.
Democrats want the immigrants to be of the lowest common denominator which translates to control of the immigrants with freebies — education, healthcare, housing, and social welfare. This thinking reflects a modern-day indentured servitude for immigrants.
The Republican President and both Houses of Congress have been stymied by the collusion of the Democrats and the news media. If Republicans pass any immigration legislation Democrats will be seriously damaged.
RAISE would use a point system to objectively evaluate all legal immigrants. Points would be rewarded for an immigrant’s education level, English language ability, high-paying job offers, age, record of extraordinary achievement, and entrepreneurial initiative.
Democrats cannot accept requirements of RAISE for it would begin the process of sovereign control of immigration.
RAISE would eliminate the extended family preferences which has been abused for decades.
RAISE would exclude the DVL (Section 203 (c) INA; 8 USC 1153) also known as "the Green Card Lottery." The DVL is a joke, as fraud permeates the lottery.
In 1965 DVL was the brainchild of the Democrats who controlled the White House and had overwhelming majorities in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Democrats controlled the federal government with an iron fist — no bipartisan efforts — just Democratic control. Democrats used the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA) of 1965 to radically change immigration policy.
The applications for the DVL are made 2 years in advance — for the 2017 lottery applications had to be in during the month of October 2015. 12, 437, 190 immigrants applied for the 2017 drawing. There were 50,000 winners. Ironically, the big winners were Ethiopia 4,500, Congo-3,835, Ukraine 4,500, and Uzbekistan 4501.
Sen. Edward (Ted) Kennedy, D-Mass., lied to the American people in 1965 when he assured them that the INA "would not flood the cities of America with millions of immigrants annually," that the then level of immigration would remain the same as in past years, and that the racial mix of the cities would not change.
The present-day sufferings in American cities refute Sen. Kennedy’s promises. Criminal illegal alien gangs inhabit American cities committing unspeakable crimes and poisoning citizens with debilitating drugs — Cocaine, heroin, and opioids. Unknown millions of illegal aliens are takers not givers as Kennedy promised.
One only need look at the public schools in Fairfax County, Va., the crime in Montgomery County, Md., the shooting and killings in Chicago, Ill., and the opioid epidemic in New England, to see what results uncontrolled immigration cause.
RAISE is subject to bogus attacks on its merit-based considerations for immigrants, yet Australia and Canada have similar laws with no problems. Opponents to RAISE attempt to say it discriminates against family-based immigrants. RAISE does not discriminate, it merely corrects a problem. Family-based immigration is out of control due to fraudulent claims of family by the applicants. Federal immigration officials acknowledge the rampant fraud occurred from 2010 to 2016. The Obama administration did nothing.
RAISE opponents state it will not raise U.S. workers’ wages. The opponents have no credible evidence to support this claim. Opponents of RAISE know that if it passes both Houses of Congress and becomes law the incremental reduction of immigration will continue and order will return to American immigration procedures.
RAISE is the start of the end of immigration chaos.
James H. Walsh was associate general counsel with the U.S. Department of Justice Immigration and Naturalization Service from 1983 to 1994. Read more reports from James Walsh — Click Here Now.