This poem is engraved on a plaque within the United States Statue of Liberty, and its words are representative of what the ideals of the United States and its government stand for; a nation of diversity, compassion, and refuge. Immigration is what makes America great and should continue to be the philosophy that drives this nation. Immigration leads to innovation and invention; contrary to popular belief, immigration can actually stimulate the economy. Instead of spending billions of dollars fighting immigration, the United States government should welcome immigrants from all nations and embrace the many benefits that these individuals bring with them. In order for this to happen the Federal government should adopt an open border policy for immigration to help foster innovation, save money on immigration control costs, and rescue foreigners who are living in life-threatening situations.
The United States needs more innovative minds to help fuel future technological advances in its various industries. In order for the United States to grow stronger as a nation, it is crucial that we embrace higher numbers of people immigrating into this country. In fact, immigrants make up a significant percentage of people in our society that contribute to new patents and startups in an assortment of industries. According to No and Walsh in, The Importance of Foreign-Born Talent for US Innovation, a survey concluded that 1,900 U.S.-born inventors of foreign origin accounted for almost 30 percent of inventors and 31 percent within biotech inventions. It was also found that there was a significantly higher rate of Ph.D. graduates amongst the foreign-born, 68 percent versus the 37 percent of US-born inventors (289). In Skilled Immigrants An Asset to the U.S. Gary Shapiro stated that 25 percent of the population of innovators within the field of technology start-up companies were founded by immigrants born of foreign-origin (28). Innovation is just one of the many reasons why America needs to adopt open border policies so that there will be an increase in the number of patents and start-up companies being produced in this country. In a testimony by Vivek Wadhwa, a director of research at Duke University, Wadhwa stated that between the years of 1995 to 2005, 52 percent of the startup companies in Silicon Valley were created by people born of foreign-origin. In a more recent update to this previous research, it was found that this percentage recently dropped by almost 10 percent.
The challenge of acquiring a job or visa or simply the wait involved in the process hinders a lot of foreign students from staying in the United States (Lane 131). All of this data shows what an impact an open border policy would produce when it comes to innovation. The United States needs to allow these bright individuals to establish themselves here and help better our nation with their contribution to the technological and industrial advancement of America. However, even though immigration shows a great number of positive results when it comes to the job market, there are those who argue that immigration will, in fact, be harmful to the job market. Those who oppose an open border policy argue that with mass immigration, the United States would experience a shortage of jobs and reduction of wages. In Debates on U.S. Immigration, it was stated that many of the people who immigrate to the United States are workers with low skill levels and low levels of education.
The demand in the United States for low-skilled workers is relatively low compared to the demand for highly skilled workers. This surplus of low-skilled workers leads to unemployment. It is also shown through economic models that with immigration comes lower wages, which can be shown through supply and demand models. An open immigration policy would also increase the level of difficulty high-skilled workers would face while trying to find a job. With many high-skilled workers immigrating to the United States, native-born citizens may face such a high rate of competition that they might not want to even pay the money it takes to get a college degree (Tichenor 244). Despite the fact that an open border policy would bring competition, many jobs would be created as a result, benefiting foreign workers and native-born citizens alike. Studies show quite a positive impact with immigration on the job market and economy, with more jobs being created, and also filling the large demand for workers in the STEM fields. In a paper titled Rethinking the Effects of Immigration on Wages, researchers, in fact, found that native wages increased 1.8 percent as a result of immigration from 1990 to 2004 (Tichenor 252).
A study done by Patricia Cortes titled The effect of Low-Skilled Immigration on U.S. Prices: Evidence From CPI Data showed that a high supply of workers would result in lower wages and would also lower the costs required to produce goods. Because of the influx of immigration, there would be more demand for products to be made which would result in more jobs required to produce these goods (Tichenor 248). According to Top Ten Immigration Myths and Facts, during the biggest immigration wave to hit the United States in the 1900s, there was an increase in economic growth and unemployment. During this time, immigrants would open businesses which would create jobs for both native and foreign workers. For example, in Silicon Valley, Chinese and Indian owned businesses made over $19.5 billion and created nearly 73,000 jobs in the year 2000 as reported by Brookings Institute (Top 239).
The United States has an unemployment rate for highly skilled workers in the STEM field of three to four percent. This shows that there is actually a need for highly skilled immigrants to establish themselves in our advancing technical fields. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for a Competitive Workforce, 861,000 new STEM jobs will have been created by 2018. The U.S. simply does not have enough STEM graduates to fulfill this surplus of jobs, in fact, it falls short by over 313,000 workers needed (Shapiro 28). Since the U.S. does not have the means to fulfill this amount of new jobs in the STEM field is it crucial for open immigration policies to be adopted for the success of our technological advancement. In addition to innovation, there is a need for an open border policy in regards to ending the massive financial burden due to the costs of immigration enforcement. Policing the border and deportation of illegal immigrants is a large financial burden on the United States government which will be solved by adopting an open border policy. In Mark Lane’s, The United States Needs More Tolerant Immigration Laws it is stated that Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda, a Professor at UCLA, estimated the effects that a policy removing illegal immigrants would have on the economy. The simulation estimated that there would be a “2.6 trillion decrease in estimated GDP growth over the same decade, decreasing tax revenues” (Lane 137).
It is also stated that, according to Economist Rajeev Goyle, the costs of deporting eleven million would amount to $206 billion over the course of five years (Lane 138). According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the cost for eleven million illegal immigrants would be more around $140 billion, which is still an astronomical price (Lane 138). Controlling the border to prevent illegal entries is a never-ending job. Customs and Border Patrol has grown more and more expensive since 2007. In just one year, from 2007 to 2008, the budget grew from $7.7 billion to $9.4 billion (Tichenor 146). Since then the budget has not stopped growing. According to the budget fact sheet for border security on the White House website, funding for the year 2018 U.S. Customs and Border Protection is at $14.2 billion and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is at $8.3 billion for a combined total of $22.5 billion. This is “22 percent higher than the FY 2017 enacted level” (2019 Budget Fact Sheet, The White House).
Policing the borders is not necessarily effective either. In Debates on U.S. Immigration, it is mentioned that there are over ten million undocumented individuals who live in the United States, which comes to around 3.5 percent of the United States population. According to the Center for American Progress, the cost of deporting these individuals would be an astounding $23,148 per person (Tichenor 148). With open border policies enacted, instead of sinking so much money into border control the U.S. government could instead embrace immigration and reap the economic benefits that immigration would bring. Nevertheless, opponents to this idea believe that this decrease in border control and increase in immigration would be an unwise decision for the security of the United States. With the lessening of border security comes the danger of increased crime on American streets and criminals freely immigrating to this country.
In Debates on U.S. Immigration, the House Committee on Homeland Security’s October 2006 Majority Staff Report is cited saying that some individuals leave their country of origin trying to seek refuge from crimes they have committed instead of coming here in pursuit of work (Tichenor 205). According to Debates on U.S. Immigration, there are four different categories of crime in relation to illegal immigrants: These categories include drug, human trafficking, identity theft, and immigration-related crimes. Randal Archibold, of The New York Times, reported in 2009 that 60 percent of illegal drugs confiscated in the United States came through the Arizona border. It is also reported that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration correlated the increase of drug-trafficking with an increase of the foreign-born population in North Carolina from 1990 to 2000. The House Committee on Homeland Security estimated that between one and two million kilograms of cocaine and five to 12 kilograms of marijuana were brought in from the Mexican border (Tichenor 207).
Opponents to open borders argue that allowing open immigration to the United States would be a devastating problem to our society because of crime. The popular argument is that with loosened security on the borders drugs and terrorism would run rampant throughout American society. However, many opponents of immigration defend their stance that immigration brings crime, terrorism, and drugs simply out of fear of other races. These assumptions are oftentimes deceiving and are often based off of personal fears and discriminatory judgments. The fact is, studies show immigrants make up a very small percentage of the terrorists and unlawful citizens who commit crimes in the United States. According to Debates on U.S. Immigration, between 1990 and 2009, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of immigrants in the United States rose from 20 million to almost 40 million.
During these same years, the population of illegal immigrants rose from three and a half million to over 11 million by 2010. Even though the United States experienced such an increase of immigration during these years, it just so happened that the violent crime rate in the country dropped by over 40 percent, “dropping from 729.6 violent crimes per 100,000 people in 1990 to 429.4 in 2009”, according to FBI data (Tichenor 210). Even a conservative report from America’s Majority Foundation agreed that states which experience the largest “immigration growth rates” also experience the lowest crime rates. “From 1996 to 2006, the total crime rate declined by 13.6 percent in the 19 highest-immigration states, compared to a 7.1 percent decline in the other 32 states” (Tichenor 210). Studies also show that native-born citizens are more likely than immigrants to end up in jail. In a study that was conducted by sociologists Rubén Rumbaut and Walter Ewing it was shown that 3.5 percent of U.S. born male population between the ages of 18-39 were currently in prison, compared to only 0.7 percent of the male immigrant population (Tichenor 211).
All these sources point to immigrants coming to the United States in pursuit of a better life and not to commit crimes and do all the things that the opposing side fear. An open immigration policy would promote diversity, hard work, and economic gains, not a disastrous state of anarchy and crime. Adopting an open border policy goes along with the traditional American philosophy of giving refuge for people in need and welcoming immigration. Open borders would offer an opportunity for foreigners living outside of the United States who are living in everyday fear for their lives. An open border policy would also offer a comfortable life for those residing in places that have a lack of opportunity and food. Many individuals across the globe live in areas that they need refuge from quickly, as a result of gangs, famine, terrorism, persecution due to sexual orientation or identity, corrupt governments, and simply lack of opportunity are amongst some of the reason’s individuals should be allowed to freely immigrate to the United States.
This, in turn, would make America the great humanitarian country that it is known to be, instead of driving immigrants out and telling desperate people that they are not welcome. Countries, such as those in Central America, are experiencing terrible gang violence; many individuals living in these countries fear for their lives and desperately need a place like the United States in which to seek refuge and start a better life. According to Claire Skinner in “Refugees, Central American”, “The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported in 2016 that there was a 1,185-percent increase in asylum applications from Northern Triangle citizens between 2008 and 2015” (Skinner Central). Central Americans are not the only people living in fear of their home nation. Syrians are facing a serious problem due to years of civil war. In Claire Skinners “Refugees, Syrian”, it is reported that by January of 2017 almost five million Syrian refugees left for nearby countries in fear for their lives (Skinner Syrian). There are individuals around the globe living in daily fear because of their sexual orientation or identity. In ten countries the act of homosexuality is punishable by death (Rupar). (Maybe add a sentence here of my own thoughts) America needs to adopt an open border policy to help these people and welcome immigration. This shows that America is a country of acceptance and refuge, allowing individuals a chance at a better life. Nevertheless, opponents argue that adopting an open border policy would cause mass overpopulation.
Looking at the overpopulation of cities like New York City and Los Angeles shows the result of immigration leading to overpopulation. In Immigration is the Main Cause of U.S. Population Increases, Edward Tabash states that California is home to an eighth of the United States’ population, where immigration is the largest factor in the yearly growth of that population. Tabesh also talks about the large fertility rates amongst immigrants, saying that Americans fertility rates place below ten percent of the replacement levels. Immigrants, on the other hand, tend to procreate at a rate that is 30 percent higher than the replacement level. If mass immigration to the United States were to occur, this off-balance would lead to mass overpopulation and within a decade the United States could have over a billion people (Tabash). In Rainer Münz’s Overcrowded World? Global Population and International Migration, Münz mentions that when abrupt population growth happens, it overwhelms the job market and various “infrastructure capacities”.
This results in many individuals not having access to basic needs like education and healthcare (Münz). By adopting an open border policy, the United States would be overburdened by these problems due to the large population increase which would make life harder for native-born citizens. Whether one remains an opponent or proponent to an open border policy, overpopulation will remain a subject of issue. However, there is so much free space in the United States, that it is possible for new cities to be erected and the population to be more evenly distributed amongst the vast amount of land that America offers. According to a study by William Larson, only six percent of the land in the United States is developed (CityLab). The building of new cities, infrastructure, and housing would lead to the creation of many new jobs and space for new companies to form or expand. More immigration would create more demand for expansion and America would keep growing as it has since it was founded. A population increase would be a good thing for the United States economy and create many new jobs for both native-born citizens and those who recently immigrated to America.
Ultimately, with the need for innovation, the high cost of immigration control and to continue being the humanitarian country that the United States strives to be the Federal government should enact an open border policy. America could benefit from immigration reform to continue being the great country that it is by doing what it has done for centuries and embracing immigration from all countries around the world. Immigration leads to innovation and would make the United States a stronger country when it comes to competing for technological advancement. Annually, the United States spends too much money on trying to control immigration that it should welcome immigrants and the many benefits that they would bring with them. To be the great humanitarian country that America strives to be we should accept those who are in need of a better life and allow these individuals to help us by contributing to society and establishing themselves in this great country. In order for this to happen the Federal government needs to consider adopting an open border policy which would help foster innovation and save money on immigration control costs. We need to help individuals who are in need survive and let them help us in return by bringing with them the benefits they offer to contribute to our society.
