Three Basic Principles for Immigration Reform

I have previously described in detailthe reforms that America ’s immigration system needs. In this post, I want to highlight what I think the general principles behind those reforms should be. Three basic principles should guide immigration reform: openness, equal treatment, and flexibility. Reform should make America more open to immigrants, should treat al l immigrants equally as individuals, and should be flexible enough to respondautomatically to changes in the economy or society.1) Openness to new immigrants. Reform should make it easier to immigrate legally, not more difficult. This pillar protects the rights of Americans to associate, contract, and trade with people born in other countries. These people might be their family members, friends, employees, or employers, but ultimately, restrictions on immigration are restriction on the liberty of Americans. Reform should recognize the presumptive right —overcome only for very good reasons—of Americans to freely interact with foreigners on U.S. soil.Of course, the freedom to associate across borders also benefits Americans —even those who don’t participate directly with the immigration system—by expanding the pool of employees, consumers, investors, and entrepreneurs who produce goods and provide services that improve the quality of life of all Americans. The social capital that immigrants bring with them makes America a stronger, safer country. Immigrants marry, have children, and participate in religious grou...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs