Vice President Kamala Harris' best defense against accusations of being weak on immigration was that she supported a bipartisan border security bill, whereas former President Donald Trump opposed it and supported Republicans in Congress. He instructed his parliamentary colleagues to vote against it.
Ultimately, this bill provides much of what immigration hard-liners have asked for, including more Border Patrol agents, stricter asylum procedures, and executive power to temporarily close the border in emergencies. It's going to happen.
President Trump's opposition to the bill gave Harris an opportunity to assert that she is stronger than her predecessor when it comes to law enforcement efforts at the border. But she said Americans need more clarification on some of the bill's lesser-known provisions and how they can be used to create a coherent immigration policy. There is.
Most of the talk about the failed bill has centered on provisions that directly address border control. What has received little attention are provisions to cautiously bring more documented immigrants into the workforce. Unemployment rates have remained near historic lows for years.1 million more jobs than unemployed peoplethere is strong evidence that the country needs to expand its workforce.
The bipartisan bill proposes increasing legal immigration for the first time since 1990, aiming to help supply more workers rather than a flood. The bill would add 18,000 employment-based visas each year for five years. This would be a 13 percent increase over the current cap. . The bill would also allow spouses, children, and fiancés of highly skilled workers who come to the United States to seek work.
Under the bill, asylum seekers would continue to be able to obtain work visas, but that access would be subject to new, stricter standards that would justify keeping asylum seekers in the country and continuing the adjudication process. This will be limited to applicants who are deemed to be strong enough to become
Some of these stricter asylum standards were introduced by executive order this spring after Congress initially failed to pass the bill. The new standards come in addition to more restrictive asylum rules that the Biden administration introduced in an executive order in early January 2023. Both administrative actions are likely Reducing illegal border crossings The number of deportations has also increased over the past six months. (In fact, the Biden administration is currently deported more immigrants (than the Trump administration)
Gradually opening up the possibility for more authorized immigrant workers to fill holes in the labor market will ultimately benefit the American people. These gaps may be due to the need for more retail or restaurant workers in their area, or to those who know first-hand the need for more services in their lives, such as child care or home care. is clear.
The bipartisan bill's visa provisions could help shift the country's immigration debate away from concerns about the link between crime and immigration. rich data Immigrants have lower crime rates than nationals, and we understand that foreign workers are necessary for a healthy U.S. economy. A well-thought-out worker visa program means essential jobs are filled. Having more workers certified on the payroll will improve the tax base of many localities.
There are clear reasons why these visa provisions are included in a bipartisan bill that has border security as a primary concern. More avenues for legal immigration would relieve some of the immigration pressure that has led to repeated chaos at the southern border.
Expanding legal immigration as a means to establish order at the border is not a new idea. Several Customs and Border Protection commissioners appointed by the presidents of both countries have pointed this out. That approach is included in a bill that Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), one of Congress' most conservative members, helped draft and that the National Border Security Council also supported. As such, it clearly has wide appeal.
These bipartisan precedents on workforce-focused immigration policies, combined with the visa provisions of the proposed bipartisan bill, present a unique opportunity for Harris. These empowered her to offer the nation a dynamic border control policy focused on the rule of law, combining strong law enforcement at the border with carefully expanded legal immigration.
This is because it helps ordinary Americans see immigrants not as a threat to their way of life, but as a tool to improve their lives through healthy local economies and communities that can provide all the services they need. , is an excellent combination.
DW Gibson is the author of “.14 Miles: Build a border wall” and Research Directoridea space.
