Americans have given a thumbs-up to the idea of a more selective immigration system, which will reward those with desirable skills and who can speak English. This is according to the results of a new poll, released on Wednesday, relating to the new immigration bill, backed by President Donald Trump.
The new poll, from Politico and Morning Consult, found that 62 percent of respondents favored giving extra help to immigrants who can speak English. 61 percent also support the creation of a points-based system when choosing employer-based immigrants. 54 percent also want to see the need for taxpayer help weighed by the US government as part of the decision on allowing an immigrant to come to the US.
More controversial with respondents was the idea of reducing the total number of legal immigrants from the current rate of 1.1 million per annum to around 500,000 – although 48 percent still support the idea, against 39 percent who disagree with it. These suggestions are part of the new immigration bill introduced by Republican Senators, David Perdue, and Tom Cotton.
The bill, referred to as the RAISE Act, was embraced by Trump during a ceremony at the White House last week. Although immigrant rights groups and Democrats have slammed it, voters seem to be siding with the bill’s authors in relation to severely limiting the expansive existing system’s family chain immigration, nixing the diversity US visa lottery, and imposing a points system on work-based US visas.