Immigration is the deliberate or forced permanent move from one’s country to settle in another county. Immigration to the U.S has been compromised due to population growth, ethnicity, social and economic development, job creation and social mobility. However, many people have opposed it especially during voting periods.
The United States of America should therefore adopt immigration admissions and control policies that will enable it achieve immigrants’ labor requirements, reduce illegal immigrants and control negative public opinion on immigration.
To be able meet its immigrants’ labor requirements, I would recommend that the U.S enact policies to enhance legal immigration of both skilled and unskilled labor to the current 700,000 immigrants. The immigrants provide increase in its domestic economy as a result of skilled employees pay increase.
Moreover, prices of goods and services become lower due to low cost of labor provided by immigrants. It also leads to increased efficiency and capital owners’ benefit from the immigrants’ cheaper labor. Immigrants also do some economic activities that the natives would not do, hence benefiting the U.S domestic market.
Today, approximately 21 million immigrants account for 15% of U.S labors are employed while seven million are not employed and do jobs that otherwise would not be done if they were not there. Immigrants also do jobs that Americans would not do, hence do not negatively affect employment.
Businesses that are opened by immigrants also account for great revenue increase. For example, in 2002, Hispanic business owners in the U.S contributed 222 billion dollars in revenue. Taxes from these businesses and other immigrants’ activities also raise the Gross Domestic Product.
Policies should therefore be enacted to reinforce the implementation of the 1990 Immigration Act that emphasizes on family reunification and employment to be the main reasons for allowing immigration to the U.S. The government should also enact policies that empower the immigrants to start more legal businesses and give them more buying power.
Immigrants’ labor will also lead to innovation. For example, the Kauffman Foundation has led to increased innovation index to a 40% above that of the natives. It is also from immigrants’ efforts that the U.S boasts of being the mother of several technology companies like Google, eBay, Yahoo and Sun Microsystems.
Policies that enhance innovation and creativity should therefore be enacted to promote these initiatives. For instance, there should be policies that give incentives to the innovative immigrants. They should also be protected by the U.S patent laws.
Immigration laws should also be enacted in a wise manner. Although these laws help in prevention of human trafficking, controlling illegal immigrants’ activities and regulating social mobility, they may also lead to huge economic losses. For instance, when Georgia enacted immigration laws in 2011, it led to wastage 50% of its total produce from agriculture. This translated to 20billion dollars loss to the economy.
In addition, immigration laws should be geared towards preventing would-be immigrant criminals and terrorists. There should be laws allowing for proper immigrant screening for any criminal activity involvement in the past. The immigrants should be forewarned of the consequences of committing a crime and understand the consequences of arrest.
The U.S should also control the negative public opinion on immigration. Most Native Americans detest the immigrants since time immemorial. The immigrants are seen from a suspicious eye by both the Americans and the government. The Filipinos, Arabs and Mexicans are feared by the Americans. In 2002 after the attacks of 11th September, 55% Americans preferred that the government reduce legal immigration.
Immigrants should therefore be made to know the Anti-terrorism and Immigrants Responsibility Act of the U.S. Other Americans blame the immigrants on their unemployment, for instance in California. Public opinion on immigration is also skewed negatively towards illegal immigrants more than the legal immigrants. This indicates that America should develop policies that allow for full enforcement of its illegal immigration laws.
In conclusion, the U.S should enact immigration policies to allow it meet its labor needs, prevent illegal immigration and regulate public opinion. There are labor needs that the immigrants can meet, as the immigrants increase the GDP, bring innovations, enlarge the markets and provide cheaper labor. Illegal immigration may lead to negative effects like terrorism and other crimes. Polices should also be enacted to regulate public opinion on immigration to allow for peaceful coexistence between the immigrants and the natives.