America has been a safe haven for immigrants and refugees for generations. As a result of the devastation of the Holocaust, Congress passed the Refugee Act in 1980 to ensure basic humanitarian protections for immigrants. However, in recent years, neither party has been able to successfully implement an effective and humane border control policy. Critics of the Democratic approach to this sensitive issue have argued that during President Biden’s four-year term, he has essentially opened the southern border, thus allowing almost eight million undocumented civilians into the country. The Republican agenda, on the other hand, supports a firm, no-nonsense approach; shut down the borders and arrest every illegal alien. In short, nobody has a (reasonable) solution.
Given the historical context of the U.S. as a refuge for those seeking safety and improved living conditions, this failure is particularly concerning. Chiefly, current anti-immigration arguments and rhetoric often rely on misconceptions surrounding economic impact, national security, and cultural assimilation.
Claims regarding American job displacement and economic strain are largely exaggerated. Since Trump’s first election in 2016, there has been the recurring assertion; that immigrants are taking jobs from Americans. According to an American Immigration Council analysis of U.S. Census Bureau Data, immigrants actually generated around 1.6 trillion in economic activity in 2022. They have paid nearly 76 billion dollars in taxes, and this revenue is only what has been documented.
Immigrant labor and tax revenue have contributed immensely to the economy. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that immigrants have a labor force participation rate of 67 percent compared to the native rate of 62 percent.
As of 2023, more than 1.3 million pending asylum applications had been recorded. The average asylum case in immigration court took 4.3 years from start to finish. There are laws in place that force asylum seekers to wait months for work permits, leaving hundreds of thousands of people stuck, physically and financially. This is a direct result of an immigration system that hasn’t been updated since Bush’s 1990 Immigration Act.
Former presidents Eisenhower and Nixon both famously took aggressive stances when it came to border security. These efforts were not effective – at least, not long term – a fact that can be seen when observing today’s immigration system.
Despite the ineffective and banal harsh approach, President-elect Trump has made promises to take harsh action on the border against both documented and undocumented immigrants. He has stated that he will declare a national emergency and, as Commander in Chief, use the U.S. military to carry out mass deportations across the country. Under his first administration, fear and stress levels were markedly high among immigrant families, including their children, most of whom are U.S. citizens.
This is not a fact that Trump seems to care very much about. Although birthright citizenship is a guaranteed right under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, he has stated that the children of some immigrants will not be granted this protection. Not only is this a clear demonstration of the kind of inhumane apathy that should not be present in our country, it sets a dangerous precedent. A president openly challenging a constitutional principle and selectively interpreting a foundational document could have long-term effects. What happens when a president decides to act on this precedent to limit free speech or religion? Could the First Amendment also be revoked?
Concerns have also risen regarding the immigrant population’s ability to culturally assimilate. What these critics have failed to consider is assimilation requires mutual respect and understanding. Brutal immigration policies that violate centuries of peaceful immigration sentiments are not examples of mutual respect and understanding.
A truly diverse society like America should be able to thrive while also allowing individuals to preserve their cultures. America is what we make it.
On February 22, 2024, Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University was murdered while she was jogging in Athens, Georgia. She was killed by José Antonia Ibarra, a Venezuelan man who had entered the country illegally. The Laken Riley Act has been passed by Congress to require the federal government to take custody of anyone who enters the country illegally, violates the terms of their immigration status, or has their visa revoked. They are thereafter arrested, charged, or deported. The act also allows states to sue the federal government for harms that are effects of illegal immigration. President-elect Trump is expected to sign the act into law upon his inauguration.
This act could hastily result in an overstep of state authority as well as a massive strain on the judicial system. Many have already argued that it blurs the line between state and federal authority. Representative Mike Collins of the House of Representatives has authored the bill “to save lives”, stating that “now is the time for action”. Is it the time for action, or does Laken Riley’s tragic murder match up with the republican agenda?
According to the World Bank, the U.S. ranks 34th worldwide for female murder. There has been no legal conceptualization that could improve this situation. The only reason Laken Riley’s case has been brought up in Congress is because it is being used to justify this inhumane ban. If these politicians truly cared, they would expand Laken’s legacy by establishing policies to prevent female violence. If they cared, they would heed Laken’s father, Jason Riley, in his pleas to stop politicizing his daughter. He has spoken out against politicians who use her name to help tighten their borders.
The Laken Riley Act will also inevitably result in the targeting of marginalized communities (Hispanic, Latino, Asian), not unlike how Nixon’s War on Drugs in the 70s resulted in the mass incarcerations of Black individuals throughout the country. This act could sustain the false narrative that undocumented immigrants are majorly responsible for crime in the U.S. As stated by the Migration Policy Institute, immigrants are actually 60 percent less likely to be incarcerated than native-born Americans. American society needs to stop perpetuating the idea that immigrants commit crimes. Those who commit crimes are criminals, plain and simple.
A reasonable, humanitarian response to the immigration crisis is possible to achieve without open borders. The American Immigration Council has suggested increased funding for border law enforcement – more officers to control the chaos. The CBP’s office of field operations could also benefit from a major expansion to process more immigrants at a time. Ultimately, any hope of peaceful improvement will require congressional and executive approval. Immigration is not just a political issue, it’s a human one. If we invested as much in empathy as we do in walls, we might be able to find a common ground.
