RAISE is an acronym for Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment, which reduces immigration intake and reforms the process for accepting immigration applications.
The Basic Objectives of RAISE:
1) Cuts in half the amount of green cards extended each year by 50%
2) Requires that immigrants who receive citizenship are employable and are
not added liability for American taxpayers
3) Offers priority to potential immigrants who have mastered English and later
requires literacy in English before granting citizenship
4) Eliminates diversity "lottery" VISAS aimed to create racial diversity
Support for the RAISE Act
Opponents of the Act may be surprised to learn that illegal immigrants add as much as 39% to incidence of hit-and-run accidents, according to CBS.
Immigrants in the United States who are here illegally, are incentivized to avoid talking to the police. This is a problem, because according to Ables & Annes, nearly one in five pedestrian fatalities are caused by hit-and-run accidents. Nearly 2,600 traffic fatalities every year are attributable to hit-and-run drivers.
There is a growing centrist view that, while immigration is basically a net positive for the United States (both morally and economically), there is legitimate reason to be concerned about mass-immigration of populations who espouse incompatible values – especially if that population refuses to assimilate.
There is some uncomfortable evidence for this view.
Despite attempts by European politicians to silence the statistics, refugees from the Middle East have been shown to have higher incidence of rape and other violent crime. Legal definitions of these crimes are very different in their home countries, meaning many of these people don’t realize they’re doing anything wrong.
RAISE would likely ensure that incoming persons undergo increased scrutiny to ensure that they will not bring toxic or criminal artifacts of home cultures into the country.
Criticism of the RAISE Act
Detractors – largely left-leaning – are calling the act racist, nativist, and xenophobic. Although the act does not target any particular race or national origin specifically – unlike the President’s executive Muslim ban from a few months ago – critics are calling it a sort of dog whistle for the alt-right, since the bulk of Immigrants are from Hispanic majority nations.
Additionally, this legislation has no provision for border security, and makes legal immigration harder – not easier. Thus, RAISE could make illegal immigration worse, rather than better.