Immigration

Discussion Topics/Overview of Larger Issues

There are a number of different dimensions to America's immigration policy. Separating out the different issues may be helpful in answering students' questions and guiding discussion. Throughout all three, there is a question of fundamental values. America is a nation of immigrants, and it is an important part of our tradition to be a symbol of opportunity to those fleeing persecution and poverty from around the world. At the same time, America is a nation of laws, and it is important that our immigration system go through a careful, legal process.

1. The Status of Undocumented Workers: Many of the most contentious questions surrounding immigration policy relate to the legal status of those who have come to the country illegally. Estimates suggest that there are presently over 11 million undocumented immigrants living in America. That includes millions of immigrants who were brought to America as children (the so-called "Dreamers"). The Obama administration attempted to legalize the status of many of these Dreamers through the DACA executive order, a policy which was opposed by the Trump administration, but ultimately not rescinded. How should we deal with those who have been here for so long? Should we grant amnesty and legalize their status? Should we we provide a pathway to citizenship so that they can one day become full citizens? Or should we deport some of these immigrants back to their home countries, particularly those who have criminal records or who have not been in the country for very long?  

Those in favor of granting amnesty and a pathway to citizenship say that these millions of Americans are "living in the shadows" and lack access to basic legal protections and rights. But critics of amnesty argue that it is unfair for these immigrants to be rewarded for illegally immigrating, especially from the point of view of the millions of people around the world who are trying to immigrate through the legal process.

2. Border Security: A major issue raised in the 2016 presidential campaign and the Trump administration was the question of the border wall and border security more generally. Many argue that America's southern border is too wide open ("open borders"), and that it is too easy for people to illegally immigrate from Latin America. They argue that this uncontrolled immigration system leads many criminals to enter the country illegally. They also argue that many children in particular are being brought to the border by criminal "coyotes" who extort parents who hope to give their children a better life.  By offering legal status to those who arrive illegally, we are inadvertently encouraging extremely dangerous migration patterns from Central America. Most Americans believe that it is important to secure the southern border, but many also believe that building a border wall sends a xenophobic and anti-immigrant message. 

In recent decades, American border security enforcement measures have also relied on a policy of separating children from parents when families are caught illegally crossing into the country. This became particularly prominent under the Trump administration, but the same process was used under the Obama administration and continues to be used today under the Biden administration. Many people agree that this policy of family separation is cruel and is a sign of a failed American immigration process.

3. Levels of Legal Migration: Another key aspect of the immigration debate is the question of what the right number and composition of legal immigration should be. The United States takes in roughly one million immigrants a year, and today the foreign-born population share of the country is the highest it has been in over one hundred years. Some critics of our immigration policy argue that high numbers of low-skill immigration lower wages for American workers. They argue that we should lower levels of immigration in order to help boost wages. Others argue that immigration is a net benefit for the American economy, and does not lower wages. A related debate surrounds the composition of legal immigration: At present, most American immigrants are family members seeking to reunite with loved ones who are already here. This is what is known as "chain migration." Some argue that our immigration process should focus less on family reunification, and more on bringing in people who have the skills that the nation's economy most needs at the moment.

A related argument deals with the question of cultural assimilation, that is the degree to which it is (1) desirable and (2) feasible for large numbers of immigrants to assimilate into American culture. Some conservatives argue that it is important for immigrants to learn English and become part of the American cultural mainstream, but that this assimilation is made harder with high rates of immigration. Some liberals reply that immigrants are successfully assimilating despite their large numbers, and more fundamentally that cultural assimilation is not the right goal for a multicultural society.

4. Refugee Policy: Finally, the recent crises in the Middle East and the violence in some Central American countries has raised the question of what an ethical American refugee policy looks like. Millions of Syrians, for example, fled their country for Europe and America following that nation's devastating Civil War, which began in 2011. Many of these refugees have nowhere to go. What should America's responsibility be in taking in and supporting these refugees? Should we give them offers of full citizenship, or should we give them temporary residence rights until they can return to their home countries? The Trump administration infamously proposed banning all Muslim refugees from entering the country, though his administration ultimately only banned refugees from a select list of eight nations.

The Trump Administration dramatically lowered the number of refugees America took in, citing the need to vet (i.e. conduct background checks) on those coming into the country.  According to the Migration Policy Institute, in the first year of the Obama administration (2009), the nation admitted 75,000 refugees; by contrast in the first year of the Trump administration (2017), the nation admitted only 50,000 refugees, and by the last year (2020), only 18,000. President Biden has pledged to increase the number of refugees the country takes in, particularly with respect to those fleeing Afghanistan today. 

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