Three Keys to Fixing US Immigration

>> Cody Nager: In recent years, the debate surrounding immigration policy in the United States has been contentious, but the turmoil is not new. America has been wrestling with how to balance an openness to immigrants against a desire for national security and social stability since the nation's founding. Throughout American history, the the debate between openness and security has oscillated between the lofty ideal that America should, as inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty, welcome the world's huddled masses, and the more protectionist sentiments manifested in the mid 19th century nativist movement against Irish immigration, the 1882 Chinese Exclusion act and the Johnson-Reed Act of 1924, which limited immigrants from southern and in Eastern Europe.

 

While attitudes shift over time, policymakers today have an opportunity to take a practical approach to the present-day immigration debate that can last and strike a proper balance between being an open and welcoming nation while protecting American interests and national security. However, meaningful reform is only possible if America can readopt some of the core principles of the past.

 

Selectivity, Simplicity, and Locality in the early Republic, the United States focused heavily on selectivity. In a 1790 pamphlet, Philadelphia doctor Benjamin Rush, a signatory of the Declaration of Independence and a leading voice in favor of Pennsylvania's ratification of the U.S. constitution, distinguished between desirable immigrants such as farmers, laborers, mechanics, and schoolteachers and undesirable ones such as aristocrats and intellectuals who Rush thought lacked practical skills.

 

Selectivity encouraged immigrants based on criteria that align with the nation's vision for the future, boosting economic growth and cultivating institutional stability. Farmers, manufacturers, schoolteachers, and laborers were all part of a vision encompassing growth in westward expansion. However, today's immigration policy often lacks the clear national vision needed to establish solid and effective criteria for selectivity.

 

Two centuries ago, this meant LOSI could strengthen the young republic's economic and cultural foundations. Today it means creating pathways for immigrants whose skills and talents address America's evolving needs, whether in technology, healthcare, manufacturing, or emerging sectors critical to our future. Current immigration policy also lacks the concise approach of the nation's early years.

 

During his first term, President George Washington signed into law the Naturalization act of 1790. The act was a mere two pages in length. Today, the Immigration and Nationality subsection of the United States code is over 800 pages long. There exist nearly 200 classifications of immigrant and non immigrant visas.

 

The amount of red tape, preapproval processes, and complexity creates unnecessary challenges for both immigrants and immigration officials. The system's complexity impedes the efficient admission and allocation of talented immigrants while also failing to address legitimate security concerns. From the nation's outset, immigration policy has been entangled between federal authority and and local impact.

 

Immigration policy is administered at the federal level, but immigrants work, live, and impact local communities across the 50 states. In 1794, Baltimore sought federal assistance for Haitian refugees, leading to congressional debates on whether aid fell under the federal government's responsibilities. A similar dynamic persists today, as cities struggle with the burden of migration while calling for federal support.

 

When immigration policy lacks strategic vision, the impact is felt locally. The United States deserves a better immigration system, one that is beneficial to both immigrants and the country. Selectivity requires shaping policy around a clear national vision, ensuring that those admitted contribute to the country's economic, social, and cultural priorities.

 

Simplicity means consolidating the maze of visa categories and streamlining application and approval processes. Locality acknowledges the necessary input, involvement, and support from states and municipalities in managing the influx of new immigrants. These three principles lay a foundation for an immigration system that lives up to America's lofty ideals while still protecting national interests.

 

America needs a system that does not oscillate between extremes but strikes the balance sought since the United States' founding.