U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-AL, recently introduced the ASSIMILATION Act, legislation aimed at replacing chain migration and lottery-based admissions with a national-interest, merit-based system that prioritizes immigrants who intend to assimilate and contribute to American life.

Tuberville also appeared on the Will Cain Show last month to discuss what he described as the need to fix the nation’s immigration system.

The bill would establish a statutory national-interest standard intended to weed out individuals who have no intention of assimilating. It would narrow eligibility for permanent family-based immigration, eliminate the diversity visa lottery and reform employment-based immigration to prioritize American workers over foreign nationals. It would also tighten H-1B and F-1 student work authorizations, require E-Verify for new hires nationwide, raise naturalization standards, add penalties for visa overstays and tighten asylum screenings.

Tuberville has repeatedly said coming to the United States is a privilege, not a right and that U.S. immigration policy should prioritize those who respect laws, support themselves, contribute to the economy and assimilate to American culture and values.

“I’m glad to see the Trump administration is working overtime to deport the millions of criminals who came here illegally during the Biden administration,” Tuberville said in the release. “But we also need to remove the incentives that are encouraging people who hate this country to come here in the first place. Under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, thousands of terrorists, drug dealers, and criminals were welcomed into the United States with open arms. Unsurprisingly, too many of these illegals are now seeking to harm American citizens and destroy our way of life. Enough is enough. Coming to this country is a privilege, not a right. If you hate this country and refuse to assimilate, we do not want you here.”

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-TN, introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The text of the 82-page bill is available at www.tuberville.senate.gov.