Recently, a bill was introduced by Senator Cotton of Arkansas and Senator Perdue of Georgia that would radically slash legal immigration to the United States, and replace today’s family- and employment-based preferences with a “point-based system” that would to determine who could immigrate and receive green cards. Backed by President Trump, the new system would favor applicants with high incomes, high levels of education and the ability to speak English over those with close family ties to the U.S.
In a recent editorial in the New York Times, Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona – a Republican and a conservative – denounced the Trump-supported bill on grounds that it fails to recognize the important value and the need for hard-working low-skilled workers. Flake acknowledged that America should welcome those with skills and abilities that help the nation stay competitive in a global economy but, in rejecting the President’s plan, he wrote from personal experience that “there must always be a place in America for those whose only initial credentials are a strong back and an eagerness to use it.”
Sen. Flake knows what most immigration advocates know: that – just as they always have – immigrants are doing some of the toughest jobs in the American economy. From hotels and restaurants, to farms, fields and orchards, to construction, lawn care and food processing, to elder care and office cleaning, immigrants are showing up and doing the work. Economists know that restricting low-skilled immigration will not create new jobs for the unemployed in the U.S.; it will only reduce the availability of needed labor and hurt U.S. companies.
Immigration is a contentious and risky issue for politicians. But Sen. Flake expresses and informed opinion, and one that is shared by millions who in their daily lives interact with low-skilled immigrants working long hours for entry-level wage to support American businesses and households. To read Senator Flake’s op-ed click here. For information on how you can impact the political debate over the future of immigration in America, contact us.