U.S. IMMIGRATION POLICY & THE CHANGING FACE OF AMERICA David A. Shirk, Ph.D. Director, M.A. in International Relations University of San Diego
A BRIEF OVERVIEW 1. The Immigration Question 2. Global Migration Patterns 3. U.S. Immigration Policy 4. Implications of Immigration 5. Societal Responses 6. Concluding Thoughts TALKING POINTS ON U.S. IMMIGRATION POLICY
1. THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION
WHAT IS THE QUESTION? How many foreign born persons should be allowed to reside in a country? What is the magic number?
WHAT IS THE QUESTION? Who should be given priority to enter, reside, and work in a country? What criteria for entry, residence, and employment?
WHAT IS THE QUESTION? What should be done with people who enter, work, and/or remain in a country without authorization? What do we do about unauthorized immigraron?
QUESTIONS BEHIND THE QUESTIONS? How many more people can we take care of? Why don t they just stay at home? Are there any benefits for us? Will they really contribute to society, or just use our social services? Why don t they just learn English? How do we know they won t be terrorists and drug dealers? WHO ARE WE? What part of illegal don t they understand Why don t they just come here legally? Is mulrculturalism bad for our society? Why don t we take care of our own first? Will there be enough jobs if we let them in?
2. GLOBAL MIGRATION PATTERNS
The Great Wave of Global Migration (2010) hup://thedailybang.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/05-us-immigraron1.jpg U.S. REC EIV ES LAR GES T SH ARE OF MIG RAT ION TO DA Y Today, the United States is home to about 42 million documented and 11-12 million undocumented persons, or about 25% of the global diaspora of over 200 million people living outside their country of origin, which represents about 3% of the world s population.
POPULA TION Foreign Born Populations Around the World AL There are approximately 33 million documented foreign born persons living in the United States, as well as approximately 11-12 million unauthorized persons. NATION TION OF PROPOR www.nyrmes.com
POPULA TION AL Foreign Born Populations Around the World (%) While the United States is home to the largest number of foreign born persons, these first generation immigrants represent less than 10% of the U.S. population. Concentrations are much higher in Europe. NATION TION OF PROPOR www.nyrmes.com
POPULA TION AL NATION TION OF PROPOR Luxembourg: A Nation of Immigrants?
Syrian Refugee Crisis in Europe
U.S. Immigration, by Region of Origin, 1820-2010 By 2010, there were an estimated 40 million legal immigrants living in the United States (13%), and an estimated 11-12 unauthorized residents. 12,000,000 10,000,000 8,000,000 6,000,000 FOREIGN BORN POPULATION 4,000,000 2,000,000 0 1820-29 1840-49 1860-69 1880-89 1900-09 1920-29 1940-49 1960-69 1980-89 There have been two great waves of U.S. immigration, each culminating about 100 years apart. 2000-09 Oceania Africa Americas Asia Europe Not Specified
MEXICAN MIGRATION IS KEY
Why Mexico Matters Top 10 Largest Immigrant Groups in 1960 Top 10 Largest Immigrant Groups in 2013 Italy Mexico hup://www.migraronpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/charts/largest-immigrant-groups-over-rme Mexicans account for roughly 6 million legal and roughly 6-7 million unauthorized immigrants
000 0-2 199 ON, MIG RATI ED UNA UTH ORIZ S OF Undocumented-ness is a Mexico Issue Numbers in 1,000s from top 10 countries of origin SOU RCE Source: U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, 2003.
HUMANE BORDERS, http://www.humaneborders.org
000 0-2 199 ON, MIG RATI ED UNA UTH ORIZ Are They Still Coming, and How? Trends in unauthorized immigration to the United States, by status at entry: 2000-2009 S OF SOU RCE SOURCE: Unauthorized Immigration to the United States: Annual Estimates and Components of Change, by State, 1990 to 2010 (Warren and Warren, 2013): http://cmsny.org/2013/02/15/center-for-migration-studies-cms-releases- important-new-study-on-unauthorizedimmigrants-in-the-united-states/
hup://cdn.starc-economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/original-size/images/ print-ediron/20140628_fbc213.png
3. U.S. IMMIGRATION POLICY
Short History of U.S. Immigration Policy 1780s Open Immigration 1870s Deviants Excluded 1880s Asian Excluded 1910s Literacy Tests 1920s Country Quotas 1940s Bracero Program 1950s New Quota System 1960s Refugees Allowed 1970s Gays Allowed 1980s IRCA Amnesty HISTORY OF U.S. IMMIGRATION LAW 1960s era reforms established country quotas for the distriburon of immigraron visas with a focus on family reunificaron
Permanent Residency to Citizenship BEST CASE SENARIO: 6 YEARS The process to obtain a visa to work or reside in the United States is a long, labyrinthine ordeal that is frustrating for both applicants and those who seek to employ foreign workers.
Temporary Non-Immigrant Visas, 1989-2014 12,000,000 10,000,000 8,000,000 All Categories of Non-Immigrant Visas, 1989-2014 V-3 V-2 V-1 U-5 U-4 U-3 U-2 U-1 T-5 T-4 T-3 T-2 T-1 S-7 S-6 S-5 R-2 R-1 Q-3 Q-2 Q-1 P-4 P-3 P-2 P-1 O-3 O-2 O-1 TD TN N-9 N-8 NATO-7 NATO-6 NATO-5 NATO-4 NATO-3 NATO-2 NATO-1 M-3 M-2 M-1 L-2 (transfer spouse) L-1 (intra-company transfer) K-4 K-3 K-2 K-1 J-2 J-1 I H-4 (H Spouse) 6,000,000 4,000,000 2,000,000 0 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 The number of temporary labor visas to permit workers to enter the country is a relatively small fraction of all visas, and separate from residential visas.
Temporary Non-Immigrant Work Visas, 1989-2014 450,000 400,000 350,000 300,000 Temporary Guest Worker Visas (H-Visas), 1989-2014 64,404 agricultural sector visas in 2008; up from 50,791 in 2007 Spouse (H) 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 Low skilled services (H2B) Agriculture H2A High Skilled (H-1B) 0 19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014 H-4 (H Spouse) H-3 (trainee) H-2R (returning H2) H-2B (low-skilled services) H-2A (agriculture) H-2 (unique skill) H-1C (Nurse in shortage area) H-1B1 (FTA-Chile/Singapore) H-1B (high-skilled) H-1A (reg. nurse) H-1 (disrnguished merit) The number of temporary labor visas to permit workers to enter the country is a relatively small fraction of all visas, and separate from residential visas.
5. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
BOTTOM LINE: POLICY SOLUTIONS U.S. Immigration Reform: Everyone agrees that the current system is not working, but change is not imminent. Development: A better life in Mexico and Central America is the surest measure to reduce migration. A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in.. And how many want out. Tony Blair