Mooers Immigration » Family

Maximizing Economic Benefit

Mooers Immigration — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:48:57 +0000

With the consensus apparently having been reached that Republicans and Democrats both want immigration reform, what should the solution look like? Over the next two weeks, Mooers Immigration will provide our thoughts on what immigration reform needs to include in order to be successful.

We start with what we believe should be overarching objective number one: create a solution that makes sense for the short, medium, and long term prospects of the US economy. In other words, Congress’ focus should be on maximizing economic benefit for our country’s prosperity. For this we see four elements.

First, the solution should assure the flow of individuals with funds to invest and skills to meet shortage areas in industry. We need entrepreneurs who are willing to invest their monetary resources and sweat equity to grab a piece of the American Dream. We need smart people in laboratories and research institutions to develop the technology that will keep American on the cutting edge of research and development, and we must finally recognize that we have a desperate shortage of Americans willing to provide low-skill services to our growing elderly population, to perform unskilled “dirty jobs” on construction sites, in agriculture, restaurants, hotels, and hundreds of thousands of establishments across America. Throughout American history, these are the jobs that have been performed by newly arrived immigrants. We must recognize their importance and celebrate the value of even the lowest skilled positions.

Next, we need to take a critical look at family categories. Uniting families has been a core American value, but exactly what constitutes that family has significant economic benefits and consequences. All sides are agreed on the need to unite nuclear families, i.e. two parents and their children, especially minor children. However, under current law, as soon as an individual becomes a US Citizen he or she can immediately turn around and sponsor parents, brothers, and sisters. Given the fact that the parents and siblings arrive in the US at or near retirement age, can America afford the burden that they present? They have not worked in the US, and most will never work in the US. They have never paid into Social Security and Medicare or paid federal or state income taxes, and yet when the day comes for the inevitable medical needs and nursing home care, it is unlikely that the US government will turn its back on these individuals. When making a decision about a skilled or unskilled worker’s Green Card, Congress should consider whether or not there should be an expectation on the part of the US government that a Green Card is likely to result in the immigration of potentially dozens of members of an individual’s extended family.

Third, we need to continue to provide hope to a limited number of people in every corner of the world that the American Dream remains a possibility. The Green Card lottery is one of the most effective diplomatic tools our country has to provide such hope. In doing so, it helps reduce the undocumented flow of individuals from many countries of the world because the individuals know that if they break the rules, they will no longer be eligible for the lottery. Together with the lottery, America needs to remain engaged with assistance programs and other forms of “soft power” to help individuals see hope in their own neighborhoods and their own countries. Effective foreign assistance is one of our most effective tools to reduce immigration pressures on our borders.

Finally, while it may not have a direct economic benefit, Congress needs to ensure that America carries its fair share of the burden of refugee resettlement and other global humanitarian programs under the auspices of the United Nations. By complying with our international responsibilities, our country strengthens its leadership role. We need to work closely with every country in the world if we ever truly wish to develop and implement an immigration regime that makes the most sense for our country.

Our next post will focus on objective two: minimizing economic harm to the US and American workers.

The Future Flow of Immigration

Mooers Immigration — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:44:42 +0000

On Sunday night, 60 Minutes aired a story about the 3 million jobs in America that remain unfilled because qualified applicants are unavailable. The fact that these jobs require skilled workers points to the fact that the US needs to bring in skilled workers from abroad or hope that enough Americans are willing to train for these positions. This challenge is at the heart of what will be a key debate in Comprehensive Immigration Reform regarding workers.

On the same day, a prominent Republican Senator discussed the need for a massive expansion of the temporary guest worker program. This will be the second element of the debate—i.e. should skilled workers come in on a permanent basis and eventually have a path to citizenship, or should the US instead limit their stay to a certain number of years, after which they must return home? This guest worker push is especially strong among conservatives with regards to unskilled jobs—i.e. the millions of so-called low-paying “dirty jobs” that are currently filled primarily by undocumented workers. Unions and immigrant rights groups detest the idea of guest worker provisions. Businesses appear neutral; what they want, many have told us, is a system that will allow them to access the workers they need for success. Be ready for a huge battle on this front.

Regarding investors, there seems to be common agreement that finding a way to bring new investment money into the US will be good for the economy and create more American jobs. However, because this is an area rife with potential fraud, it will not be an easy task to strike a balance between needed government oversight and entrepreneurial spirit.

Finally, when it comes to the future flow of immigration to the US, it is family related immigration that dwarfs the numbers associated with employment related classes. Great challenges and opportunities regarding the future flow of immigrants really rest in the family category. All sides agree on the need to and desire for preserving immediate family unity. A US Citizen or Permanent Resident should be able to sponsor their spouse and children. The trickier questions arise, however, about whether parents or siblings should be included in the equation. At a time of rising health care costs, crisis in Medicare and the Social Security trust fund, and provisions of Medicaid at the state level, the question arises of whether it makes sense for elderly individuals, who have paid nothing into the US system, to have the right to become a US Citizen simply because an adult child qualified for a Green Card. The same equation holds for brothers and sisters.

The important questions will be whether Congress has enough sense to get itself out of the allocation of numbers for Green Cards. In many countries, boards of experts determine a country’s needs and then adjust the immigration flow upward or downward to reflect the changing need. For instance, if it turns out that we have a massive shortage of skilled plumbers in the US, and it is important for our economy to have an infusion of plumbers to meet the shortage, it will be impossible for Congress to move deftly enough to meet the challenge. In many ways, this will be the stickiest part of the entire exercise related to immigration reform. How many foreign nations are admitted into the US, which categories, and from which countries, will determine the pace of America for generations to come.

Obama Administration Showing Humanitarian Side

Mooers Immigration — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:05:34 +0000

In recent weeks, the Obama Administration has announced two major initiatives designed to assist individuals and families while at the same time stopping short of an immigrant amnesty.

The first, prosecutorial discretion, reflects a common-sense decision to target US Government resources to go after those considered truly bad actors – namely criminal offenders, individuals who defy court orders, etc. Those individuals whose only transgression was coming to the US to achieve the American Dream may see their cases deferred, delayed, or administratively closed in the coming months. There are many questions to be answered on this new policy, and DHS, DOJ, and immigrant experts are meeting to find answers to them.

The second initiative involves waivers of inadmissibility for the spouses of US citizens and permanent residents. Under current law, foreign born spouses barred from the US are eligible for a Green Card if the marriage is genuine AND the US citizen or permanent resident can show that he or she would suffer extreme hardship if the foreign spouse could not immigrate to the US. The waiver application can now be filed in the US before the person must leave the country for their Consulate interview. Since there is a two year wait for DHS to complete work on the waiver application, this means that families no longer have to spend years away from one another while a foreign spouse awaits an answer on the waiver.

It is good to see the Obama Administration taking positive measures to help our immigrant communities.