343 11 Challenges for US Immigration Policy GORDON H. HANSON Immigration is a source of contention in American life. The issue divides the public, as it divides both major political parties. When asked about the contributions of immigrants to US society, 70 percent of survey respon- dents recognize these as being positive. But when asked about the level of immigration, 45 percent prefer to see the number of immigrants entering the country reduced (Scheve and Slaughter 2001a). The American public is roughly divided between those that prefer scaling down immigration and those that prefer maintaining it at current levels. Americans appear to be- lieve that immigration offers a range of potential benefits to the country but are also concerned about the costs associated with admitting foreigners. In this setting, reforming immigration policy might seem like a political minefield better left unexplored. However, ignoring immigration would be a mistake. US immigration policy is broken and in need of repair. Perhaps the most glaring examples of policy failure are that one-third of immigra- tion is illegal and the population of illegal immigrants in the United States is now 10 million. Rampant illegality undermines US economic, legal, and political institutions and threatens US national security. Left alone, the problem will not solve itself. Each year, 400,000 new illegal immigrants enter the country. While the US Border Patrol attempts to control illegal im- migration by policing US borders, its efforts have been ineffective. One reason immigration creates political tension is that immigrant in- flows to the United States are growing steadily. Between 1970 and 2003, the share of the foreign-born in the US population increased from 5 to 12 Gordon H. Hanson is a professor of economics at the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies and the Department of Economics, University of California, San Diego.
Challenges for US Immigration Policy
Aug 04, 2023
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