Action Alert: Oppose the RAISE Act
Act now to stop S. 354, the RAISE Act! Senators Tom Cotton of Georgia and David Perdue of Arkansas have introduced the RAISE Act to cut legal immigration by half, reduce green cards to family members of U.S. citizens, reduce the number of refugees, and eliminate the diversity visa lottery for underrepresented countries. CALL (202) 224-3121 and leave a message for our Senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and say that you oppose S.354, the RAISE Act, and ask them to oppose it too!
The RAISE Act would favor highly skilled workers over family members of all backgrounds, and would be a negative departure from current immigration policy. The RAISE Act reminds Asian Americans of our painful history of past exclusionary immigration policies designed to keep Asians from immigrating to the United States, beginning with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and eventually extending to virtually all of Asia, until legislation in 1965 finally shifted away from race based quotas favoring Europeans to an emphasis on family reunification. Now, more immigrants arrive from Asia than any other region in the world. This immigration is fueling the growth and strength of the Asian American community, the fastest growing racial minority in our country, as well as the growth and strength of our nation. 92% of Asian Americans are immigrants or children of immigrants. The RAISE Act would eliminate the immigration preferences for parents, siblings and adult children, many of whom have waited to join their families in our country since they were very young. There are also more refugees from Asia than most parts of the world, and several Asian countries are in the diversity visa lottery. The RAISE Act would affect all immigrant and refugee communities, and would severely and disproportionately affect the Asian American community. It would foreclose the opportunity for thousands of our families to reunify here, permanently separating family members.
Do not be fooled by the rhetoric surrounding the RAISE Act, which pits immigrant workers against American workers. Immigrants and refugees often fill jobs others do not want to take, create jobs not only for themselves but for other American workers, pay taxes and contribute to our economy. Whole sectors of our economy are fueled by immigrant labor and businesses with a net benefit to all Americans. The RAISE Act would seriously damage immigrant and refugee families and communities. Families are stronger together, stronger families create healthier communities, and healthier communities create a stronger nation. Oppose the Raise Act!
