Such is the vision inscribed at the
Statue of Liberty that for generations has represented America’s ideal for welcoming
previous waves of immigrants to our nation. The thousands of Haitian immigrants that
recently arrived at the southern U.S. border, however, were met with border
patrols on horseback using lariats to control the crowds of immigrants --- not
exactly the welcoming committee that would ordinarily alleviate the pain and
hunger of traumatized victims.
President Biden deserves some of
the blame for this surge for publicly announcing that his administration would
promote more humane immigration policies. However, immigration from Mexico has
declined dramatically in recent years despite Biden’s promotion of more humane
immigration policies – an outcome that
reflects how the flow of immigration can be controlled when countries
collaborate to achieve mutual goals.
President Biden, however, does not
deserve all of the blame for the surge of Haitian immigrants. What energized
the surge of Haitians was a devastating earthquake, the assassination of the
country’s president, the failed Haitian economy, and the proliferation of crime
--- clearly events beyond Biden’s control.
Moreover, history tells us that President Biden is not alone in
encouraging more humane immigration policies. Indeed, numerous past presidents
have issued executive orders to protect the status of various immigrants from
different countries. [i]
While our political leaders decide
on the ultimate disposition of Haitian immigrants, we should all be alarmed at
the treatment that these immigrants have received at the Texas border. Rather than comfort these immigrants who have
experienced considerable trauma in their home countries and their travel to our
border, we instead decide to return them
as quickly as possible to their home countries where their lives will remain in
danger from crime and food deprivation.
On the other hand, the U.S. does have some choices to consider.
Our country is a nation of
immigrants whose economic and intellectual growth has been fueled by the
presence of immigrants. As we ponder the
decision to deport Haitian immigrants to their home countries, perhaps we need a
brief reminder of the many ways in which immigrants have benefited our country:
·
Immigrants have often met the demand for labor
shortages in such industries as food, hospitality, construction, and
healthcare. As a result of the pandemic
and restrictive immigration policies, our nation is in dire need of more
employees. Studies have shown that immigration provides a younger workforce,
the entrepreneurial workers, and the skilled employees needed for essential
industries such as healthcare, construction, agriculture, and food processing. [ii]
·
Non-citizens have historically served an important
mission in defense of the U.S. According
to the Department of Defense, non-citizen recruits are likely to possess
language and cultural skills that are of strategic importance to military
operations outside of the U.S. Between
2016 to 2020, there were 29, 970 non-citizens that were approved for
naturalization in the U.S. military. [iii] The top five countries represented by
non-citizens in the military included Philippines, Mexico, China, South Korea
and Jamaica.
·
The Social Security trust fund has been kept
solvent in part from the substantial contributions made by unauthorized
immigrant workers. Undocumented immigrants contributed $13 billion into the
Social Security funds in 2016. While they make contributions, undocumented
immigrants are not eligible to receive social security benefits. [iv]
· Immigrants have contributed substantially to scientific innovation in the U.S.: In the United States since 1976, citizens of foreign countries have filed 25 percent to 30 percent of patents. Indeed, immigrants file patents at double the rate of native-born Americans because they are more likely to hold science and engineering degrees. [v]
Given the many contributions that
immigrants have made to the U.S. and the current labor shortages across many
industries, perhaps we should pause to remember the virtues inscribed in the
Statue of Liberty and offer the Haitian immigrants the same opportunity that
previous waves of immigrants have experienced upon arrival to our nation. Indeed, if the situation were reversed and U.S.
residents were forced to seek humanitarian assistance from our global
neighbors, would we want to be greeted by troopers on horseback using a lariat
upon our arrival? Probably not.
[i]
Desilver, D. (2014, November 21). Executive
actions on immigration have long history, Pew Research Center, Accessed at: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/11/21/executive-actions-on-immigration-have-long-history/
[ii]
The Labor Law Review. (2021, August 26).
Immigration and labor shortages. Accessed at: https://www.natlawreview.com/article/immigration-and-labor-shortages
[iii]
U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization Services. Military
Naturalization Statistics. Accessed on 9-24-21 at: https://www.uscis.gov/military/military-naturalization-statistics
[iv] New American Economy. Undocumented immigrants. Accessed on 9-24-21 at: https://www.newamericaneconomy.org/issues/undocumented-immigrants/#economic-contributors,-not-criminals
[v]
Nowrasteh, A. (2020, May 14). Don’t Ban
H-1B Workers: They Are Worth Their Weight in Innovation, CATO Institute,
Accessed at: https://www.cato.org/blog/dont-ban-h-1b-workers-they-are-worth-their-weight-patents
