Best of 2019: Immigration Reads You May Have Missed

As the curtain closes on 2019, the NumbersUSA staff who work as part of the Media Standards Project have each pulled together a list of 10 noteworthy media items from the year that advanced a healthy, civil, productive conversation on immigration-related issues.

These pundits and reporters provided their consumers with high-quality commentary and information, allowing the space to explore nuances, trade-offs, and policy prescriptions with intellectual integrity.

It is an encouraging fact that there were a number of pieces from writers who didn’t make our lists, but had worthy cases.

Without further ado, I present our exemplars of 2019:

Jeremy Beck’s list (chronological):

1. Where Have You Gone, Barbara Jordan? Our Nation Turns Its Lonely Eyes to You; by Miki Meek; This American Life (January 11)
2. Mass immigration and the growth of inequality; by James Wickham; Social Europe (January 8)
3. Do We Really Need So Many Foreign Tech Workers?; by Froma Harrop; Creators (February 7)
4. The Ezra Klein Show - Andrew Sullivan and I work out our differences; by Ezra Klein; Stitcher (technically a “listen”) (February 14)
5. If Liberals Won’t Enforce Borders, Fascists Will; by David Frum; The Atlantic (April 2019)
6. The Democrats Are Confused on Immigration; by David Leonhardt; New York Times (March 20)
7. Faith, Reason, and Immigration; by David Frum; The Atlantic (March 21)
8. The Working Hypothesis; by Oren Cass; The American Interest (October 15, 2018)
9. At border, grim realities of crisis collide with 2020 campaign politics; by Nick Miroff, Annie Linskey and Josh Dawsey; Washington Post (July 2)
10. The Hard Immigration Questions; by David Leonhardt; New York Times (July 17)

Andrew Good’s list (ranked):

1. If Liberals Won’t Enforce Borders, Fascists Will; by David Frum; The Atlantic (April 2019)
2. Don’t go wobbly on E-Verify, Mr. President; by Henry Olsen; Washington Post (May 20)
3. Our Irrational Anxiety About 'Slow' Growth; by Ruchir Sharma; New York Times (August 17)
4. Debunking Economic Piety; by Richard Aldous and Oren Cass; The American Interest (November 13, 2018)
5. Eric Weinstein on immigration all year long; Twitter (January 15)
6. Immigration Restriction Is Not Hate; by Rich Lowry; Politico (August 7)
7. Where Have You Gone, Barbara Jordan? Our Nation Turns Its Lonely Eyes to You; by Miki Meek; This American Life (January 11)
8. Are Democrats Now the Party of Open Borders?; by Kevin Drum; Mother Jones (July 12)
9. For Democrats, Health Care Is Easy, but Immigration Is Hard; by Peter Beinart; The Atlantic (July 2)
10. Republicans Need to Save Capitalism; by Peggy Noonan; Wall Street Journal (February 14)

Sharon McKinnis’ list (in no particular order):

1. Waiting for Obama, by Ryan Lizza; Politico Magazine (November 26)
2. Can Elizabeth Warren Win Back Trump Country?; by T.A. Frank; Vanity Fair (June 16)
3. Donald Trump vs. the United States of America; by David Leonhardt; New York Times (September 22)
4. Don’t go wobbly on E-Verify, Mr. President; by Henry Olsen; Washington Post (May 22)
5. For Democrats, Health Care Is Easy, but Immigration Is Hard; by Peter Beinart; The Atlantic (July 2)
6. Trump Is Wasting Our Immigration Crisis; by Thomas Friedman; New York Times (April 23)
7. Trump Has Defeated Himself; by David Frum; The Atlantic (January 8)
8. Enforce the Border—Humanely; by David Frum; The Atlantic (June 20)
9. Trump Is Betting That Indecency Can Win in America; by Andrew Sullivan; New York Magazine (July 19)
10. How to Beat Trump on Immigration; by David Brooks; New York Times (November 7)

Chris Johnson’s list (in no particular order):

1. Border Dilemmas Are the Same for Trump or Obama; by Holman W. Jenkins, Jr.; Wall Street Journal (November 29)
2. Where Have You Gone, Barbara Jordan? Our Nation Turns Its Lonely Eyes to You; by Miki Meek; This American Life (January 11)
3. Instead of a border wall, get E-Verify to prevent undocumented immigrants from working; by Robert Robb; USA Today (February 1)
4. Do We Really Need So Many Foreign Tech Workers?; by Froma Harrop; Creators (February 7)
5. If Liberals Won’t Enforce Borders, Fascists Will; by David Frum; The Atlantic (April)
6. On Immigration, Trump Needs to Focus on the Numbers; by Steven Camarota; National Review (February 19)
7. Don’t go wobbly on E-Verify, Mr. President; by Henry Olsen; Washington Post (May 22)
8. Faith, Reason, and Immigration; by David Frum; The Atlantic (March 21)
9. All Presidents Are Deporters in Chief; by The Editors Board; New York Times (July 13)
10. Enforce the Border—Humanely; by David Frum; The Atlantic (June 20)

Lisa Venus’ list (ranked):

1. The Hard Immigration Questions; by David Leonhardt; New York Times (July 17)
2. On Immigration, the Democrats Are Playing Into Trump’s Hands; by Peter H. Schuck; New York Times (August 15)
3. Mass immigration and the growth of inequality; by James Wickham; Social Europe (January 8)
4. Do We Really Need So Many Foreign Tech Workers?; by Froma Harrop; Creators (February 7)
5. H-1B: Uber snatches up more foreign-worker visas as it lays off hundreds of employees; by Ethan Baron; Mercury News (October 17)
6. Op-Ed Good News Misunderstood; by Tom Flynn; Free Inquiry (April/May)
7. On Immigration, Trump Needs to Focus on the Numbers; by Steven Camarota; National Review (February 19)
8. Dems, Please Don’t Drive Me Away; by David Brooks, The New York Times (June 27)
9. Faith, Reason, and Immigration; by David Frum; The Atlantic (March 21)
10. Commentary: ‘High-Skilled Immigrants Act’ Is a Sop to Big Tech; by Rachel Broward; Tennessee Star (July 15)

ANDREW GOOD is the Director of the Media Standards Program for NumbersUSA