Honoring our commitment to newcomers
The United States is a nation of immigrants, and we've never had cause to regret that. It's part of what makes us different from so many more narrow, authoritarian societies, and it's what makes us strong. So we have a special obligation to welcome newcomers. U. S. immigration policy must reflect our ideals, our humanitarian concern and our commitment to the plight of refugees worldwide. Besides, the United States benefits from immigration. Hard-working immigrants start businesses, create jobs, and help the economy grow. Culturally, immigrants enrich America with their arts, traditions, and languages. The U.S. has always gained more by immigration than we've lost and there's no reason to think that will change.
What Should be Done?
Maintain legal immigration at current levels. Ensure that all legal immigrants get the benefits that come with citizenship. Use amnesty programs and guest worker visas to give illegal immigrants who hold down jobs away to become legal residents. Continue to be a refuge for individuals who face political oppression in their home countries. Let people keep their native languages and customs if they choose to do so.
Arguments For This Approach
On balance, the cultural and economic benefits we get from immigrants more than outweigh the short-term costs. Simple decency ought to require us to take in people fleeing political and social persecution. Immigrants are highly motivated people who contribute to the economy with their entrepreneurial activity and hard work. The concerns about language and culture are overblown. We've always had ethnic neighborhoods and people who cling to their home language. America has coped with this before and we can do so again.
Arguments Against This Approach
Our first obligation is to provide jobs and social services for people already living in this country. We cannot afford to help everyone who wants to come. In the past, large waves of immigration were followed by periods where the rules were tightened up. We need a breathing space to absorb the immigrants we already have. September 11th shows that we need better border security. We shouldn't let anyone in this country unless we know who they are and where they're going to be. Amnesty programs reward people for breaking the law. That's not only a bad precedent, it's also an insult to the many immigrants who followed the rules and went through the red tape to get here legally.
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