Family ties make America great

In America, we care about and support strong families, no matter where you were born.

The RAISE Act, introduced by Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and David Perdue, R- Ga., with resounding applause from President Trump, would have you think otherwise. It is based on the faulty assumption that immigrant families merit minimal consideration.

Ending the emphasis on family relationships as a basis for immigration — deprioritizing the unity, values and strength that a supportive family provides — undermines the prosperity of American workers and their families.

Studies have found that social networks, such as family, help immigrants find jobs and facilitate economic integration.

Family members are crucial to helping newcomers navigate American culture, norms and institutions. As is true for those born in America, immigrants’ families help with housing, financial capital, health care access, transportation, school enrollment, child care, elder care and more.

We cannot dismiss the importance of that support for immigrants who not only are building new lives but are also creating opportunities for American workers.

Immigrant entrepreneurs started 28.5% of new businesses in the USA in 2014, more than double the 13.3% in 1997, according to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

As with so many parts of our economy, immigrant families help drive the post-recession housing market, the Urban Land Institute has found.

The jobs immigrant entrepreneurs create for Americans and the boon for the building industry that immigrants help drive are in peril if we turn away their families — the grandparent, the sibling, the adult child.

Family is more than what we cherish as a nation. It’s an important economic contributor. Family networks have made America great for generations.

Many parts of the immigration system need repair urgently. Our belief in families is not one of them.