Our Approach to ReEnvisioning Immigration

Immigration policy in any country will inevitably benefit some groups more than others. In a government “of the people, by the people, for the people,” a responsible approach to reform takes the concerns of all stakeholders into account and then prioritizes based on the needs of the national community. Finally, no immigration policy can survive if its laws and limits are not faithfully enforced.

Our approach to reenvisioning immigration begins with this: immigration policy — like any public policy — deserves a vigorous, civil debate. We do not, however, confuse policy with people. From our founding videos and publications, respect for immigrants is foundational to our approach.

Second, as Temple University law professor Jan Ting explains, unless a person agrees with a totally open border for the hundreds of millions of people who would move to the United States if they could, policymakers have to choose numerical limits.

Law professor Jan Ting argues that the American public has to decide which immigration system it wants

Prioritizing requires difficult choices, but that is the policymakers’ job. Our goal for sensible immigration policy is to maximize benefits and minimize harm.

Consider these vulnerable groups:

The Historically Left-Behind in The United States

Black workers dismissed from job sites after Hurricane Katrina

Newcomers with Tenuous Footholds


The Working Class

Border communities

A small minority of Americans actually live on the border. Their concerns are unique and important. One sensible way to measure border security is to determine whether or not the people who live on the border are secure.

The Global poor

Other Species

Our responsibilities of stewardship extend to Mother Earth, especially the American lands and waters the U.S. government has jurisdiction over. They cannot vote, but the critical habitats, wildlife, and biodiversity that sustain us — and are crucial to international environmental health — should all be considered in our immigration policies.

Future Americans

Future generations have no say in our current policies, but they will live in the world our policies leave them. Immigration policy should be responsive to immediate and short-term needs while never losing sight of the long-term ramifications.

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