Today I’m tackling an issue that our country has been struggling with for a while.  I’m really interested in your comments and constructive ideas…what do you think?

America’s Source of Strength

During a presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, President Ronald Regan observed “Other countries may seek to compete with us; but in one vital area, as a beacon of freedom and opportunity that draws the people of the world, no country on Earth comes close. This, I believe, is one of the most important sources of America’s greatness. We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people — our strength — from every country and every corner of the world. And by doing so we continuously renew and enrich our nation.”

A Nation Built by Immigrants

Most of us in this country have ancestors that immigrated within the last two centuries, and many within the last few generations.  President John F. Kennedy called the United States a “Nation of Immigrants,” built by immigrants, saying “Their hard work, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit have fueled economic growth, creating jobs and prosperity for all. Their hands have nurtured the land, ensuring a bountiful harvest that sustains the nation.” In fact, nearly half of the Fortune 500 US companies were started by immigrants or their children, including Apple, Amazon, Tesla, Costco, and Bank of America. 

Technology & Innovation

Immigrants have been a driving force behind our technical advancements and innovation.  Between 1901 and 2021, immigrants accounted for 35% of all Nobel Prizes won by Americans in chemistry, medicine, and physics. They have generated an outsized share of patents.  Foreign born experts in physics and mathematics were instrumental in the Manhattan Project, enabling us to win the race with the Nazis to build the world’s first atomic bomb. 

Forcing Many of the Best and Brightest Out

When recruiting at top engineering schools in the US, many of the most technically qualified graduate students I meet are from foreign countries.  Most of these students are forced to leave the country at some point after graduation, due to caps on work visas.  These students come to study at our great universities, and many want to stay and contribute to our economy.   They try their luck at our H1B Visa lottery, where less than 20% get a randomly selected opportunity to stay and work for a few years.  Then those winners hope to secure a green card within that time so they can continue.  The bottom line is that we end up forcing out a lot of bright people with technical skills that could develop new technologies and start companies.

Needs of an Aging Population

Like many developed nations, the US population is aging.  Our birth rate is below replacement level, at 1.7 births per female, and declining.  If this trend continues, then without significant immigration our population would tend to age and shrink.  Less workers and taxpayers would be available to provide the labor and funds necessary to maintain and grow our economic output, and to fund things like Social Security and Medicare.  While these effects can be offset by increased productivity through technical advancements, growth can be accelerated by bringing in new skilled workers and entrepreneurs.

Chaos at the Border

It seems very clear that we need comprehensive immigration reform that includes border security.  We can’t have an effective immigration policy if we are not in control of who enters our country.  If we don’t manage the numbers, we can’t process the people in a timely manner, and we don’t have a good way to handle large numbers of people while they wait years for court dates.  A lack of border control also increases the possibility of smuggling in drugs like Fentanyl and human trafficking.  While most of the calls for border security these days come from the political right, even Hillary Clinton recognized the need, saying we should “Secure our borders with technology, personnel, physical barriers if necessary in some places; and we need to have tougher employer sanctions” 

Asylum

Many of the immigrants that enter the US illegally are seeking asylum protection, whether it is warranted or not.  They can be in the country for years before their case is handled.  We should update our asylum law so that seekers are required to apply through a port of entry.  We also need a more efficient way to screen for those that really are in danger.  In 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection started using the CBP One app to pre-screen asylum seekers and schedule appointments.  While the app has been criticized for glitches and limited languages, the concept seems like a great way to more efficiently prioritize cases and match people to available review slots. By requiring asylum seekers to go through official channels to submit a claim, we can eliminate the demand for smugglers and “coyotes” and reduce the dangers faced by migrants.

Not Zero Sum

When immigrants come to our country and increase the supply of workers, they also add demand for products and services that leads to increased demand for workers.  Their high rate of entrepreneurship can additionally result in the creation of jobs.  By strategically selecting based on merit and need, we can emphasize bringing in immigrants that will fill gaps and boost our economy.

Migrant Crime Myth

While there are examples of illegal immigrants that commit violent crime, the rate is far lower than crime committed by US Citizens.  A study of Texas DPS data found U.S-born citizens are over 2 times more likely to be arrested for violent crimes, 2.5 times more likely to be arrested for drug crimes, and over 4 times more likely to be arrested for property crimes, compared to undocumented immigrants. 

Politics or Opportunity

The modern political right has evolved from talking about immigrants as our strength to framing immigrants as threats.  They often portray immigrants as criminals, job stealers, and drains on our social programs.  The political left tends to portray immigrants as poor refugees that we are morally obligated to help, and has often pushed back on border security measures.  The truth is that immigrants have been the defining strength of our country since its founding.  If we establish a good immigration policy and execute it well, they can continue to “renew and enrich our nation”…creating businesses, providing much needed talent and labor, and improving our population age demographics.

How to Solve the Problem and Secure the Opportunity

Here are my thoughts on some steps we should take to address the problems with our immigration system, and to effectively manage the people that come into the U.S.

1.      Take advantage of our American brand and our excellent universities by increasing the number of skilled worker visas, so that we can further grow our economy.  Select recipients based on merit and need instead of a random lottery.

2.      Secure the border so we are in control of who enters our country and a policy can successfully be implemented.

3.      Improve our CBP One app and use technology to pre-screen and prioritize potential asylum seekers and match the number of people to the available number of appointments.  Avoid long periods of detention or release within the country.

4.      Increase our capacity for hearing asylum cases to handle the people who are truly in danger of persecution in a timely manner.  Require all asylum seekers to enter at an official port of entry.

5.      Offer other work visas for job roles where we have labor shortages

Further resources:

• Economist Steven Dubner did a great 3-part podcast series on “The True Story of America’s Supremely Messed-Up Immigration System.”
• The Contribution of High-Skilled Immigrants to Innovation in the United States | Stanford Graduate School of Business
• Comparing Crime Rates Between Undocumented Immigrants, Legal Immigrants, and Native-born US Citizens in Texas
• 7 Things That Would Fix Immigration in the U.S. | TIME