The U.S. has struggled with immigration issues now for well over a decade. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants enter the southern border, often illegally, fleeing economic and political turmoil. They come not only from Mexico but from multiple countries include Ecuador, Venezuela, and Columbia. And the numbers are rapidly becoming overwhelming for many major cities and states. Florida and Texas have resorted to relocating many immigrants to other areas of the country. Cities like New York struggle with constant policy changes to accommodate the influx. One thing is clear, however: current U.S. immigration policies are not sustainable, and major solutions to the immigration crisis are needed. Businesses can help in this regard.
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To date, politicians and bipartisan committees have made little progress in developing effective U.S. immigration policies. Differences in opinion about pathways to citizenship exist as do philosophies about inclusion versus isolationism. But despite this, constructive solutions to the immigration crisis can be developed. Throughout our nation’s history, immigrants fueled growth and prosperity in many ways. Businesses are aware of this, especially in specific industries. Therefore, businesses should take an active role in promoting effective immigration policies and strategies. And they should create their own policies to accommodate the changes they recommend. This is the most effective and efficient pathway to resolving the immigration problems we face currently.
Going From Bad to Worse
In recent months, there’s no question the immigration problem has worsened. New York City represents a prime example of the effect current U.S. immigration policies are having on our country. In past years, the city reported about 300 new immigrants moving into the city daily. But based on current statistics, these figures have almost doubled to 535 new arrivals per day. This has resulted in serious dilemmas for the city since roughly half of all new arrivals end up in homeless shelters. Recent totals estimate 65,000 immigrants are in city shelters currently at any given time. Being unsustainable, New York officials are looking for creative solutions to the immigration crisis. But thus far, there efforts have fallen short.
The approach New York City is currently taking is to restrict the length of time a family or individual can stay in a shelter. The mayor recently instituted a policy that requires immigrant families to reapply and start the sheltering process over after 60 days. This has helped by increasing those leaving shelters per day, but it still pales in comparison to the new arrivals. Likewise, the shortened stay allowance undermines the ability to get jobs, attend school, and other constructive activities. Because New York state requires the city to provide a bed to homeless who request it, solutions to the immigration crises are limited. It’s highly unlikely city or state policies will resolve these issues without a major shift in U.S. immigration policies.
“[In the past] we relied a lot on German talent and talent from other European countries, and that was really vital to advancing American national security interest. We’re kind of in a similar situation today, where we’re in an AI race with China … immigration can be part of that success story.” – Darrell West, Brookings Institution
A Look on the Bright Side
Between arguments over U.S. immigration policies and border struggles, most of what is reported is negative. But there’s a better way to envision immigration and the potential it offers. Rather than seeing current immigration as a crisis, it can be viewed as a remedy to current national needs. For example, there’s no question many sectors in the U.S. have labor shortages. Healthcare staffing, food service workers, and agricultural industries all could benefit with legal immigrants to help meet labor demand. At the same time, rapid growth of technology and engineering has found qualified STEM candidates are lacking as well. If solutions to the immigration crisis could be provided, this would better address these shortages. And in the process, serve to fuel growth and business competitiveness with foreign entities.
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Filling job vacancies and fueling labor-based growth are not the only advantages of changing U.S. immigration policies. From an economic perspective, legalized immigration paths would increase the tax base at both federal and state levels. Certainly, immigrants utilize social and public services. But they also comprise over 17% of the workforce. Estimates suggest this provides $220 billion in federal tax dollars annually along with $105 billion in state tax revenues. Solutions to the immigration crisis could also help address demographic pressures related to aging of the population. Recognizing these opportunities rather than fearing potential threats are important in reshaping U.S. immigration policies.
“The uncertainty inherent to this [employment green card allowance] process serves as a strong deterrent for sought after talent who would otherwise pursue careers in the United States.” – Barbara Lean, Senior Corporate Counsel for U.S. Immigration at Microsoft
Bold Business Solutions
Understanding that changes in U.S. immigration policies can provide a competitive advantage, businesses should embrace an active role. By supporting effective solutions to the immigration crisis, the chance to capitalize on a more robust workforce can be realized. Such support isn’t difficult. For example, did you know that cap restrictions on annual green cards haven’t changed in 30 years? Each year, only 140,000 employment-based green cards are permitted, and only 7% can come from any single nation. That means immigrants from large countries like India are allowed less than 10,000 a year. This significantly undermines the ability to recruit highly talented immigrants to technology and science sectors. Without question, these U.S. immigration policies need to be reformed.
In addition to these changes in U.S. immigration policies, business should also advocate for revamped pathways to citizenship. Those with special talents and skills should certainly have easier processes toward full citizenship. Likewise, visas for entrepreneurs and startups should be permitted within the U.S. to fuel innovation. And increased opportunities for international students with subsequent employment and citizenship avenues should be pursued. Such solutions to the immigration crisis offer targeted approaches that align well with business needs. And businesses need to get involved in convincing policymakers such strategies are vital for our competitive future.
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