OPINION: Immigration sanity

America is a land of immigrants, which isn’t unique as this can be said about virtually every nation. Unless your ZIP Code is The Garden of Eden, we are all either immigrants or descended from immigrants. Beginning with the first humans, we have roamed the entire planet and now, facilitated by our technology, occupy every environment. Archaeologists tell us there is trace evidence of humans in North America 30,000 years ago during the middle of the last Ice Age when sea levels were 400 feet lower than today and New York was under a mile thick layer of ice.  

Ever since then, human occupation has ebbed and flowed over the Americas. Civilizations and cultures have risen and fallen and when in 1492 Columbus “discovered” the Americas he was simply the latest immigrant to land on these shores. He wasn’t even the first from Europe as the Vikings had settled here centuries before.   

The term “native” simply indicates those that were already on site when others showed up. For most of human history “land ownership” meant whatever land area you could defend against being occupied by others. The idea that the average person could hold a secure title to land is relatively new concept. Having a legally secure and transferable title to real property was one of the necessary ingredients for the industrial modern age. Having title meant that you could use that stored wealth as collateral to fund the development of resources. You can borrow against it to buy seeds or breeding stock or mining equipment or other things needed to transmute labor and resources into prosperity. 

It was this ability to own, this “promise” that incentivized millions to leave their homeland to undertake a perilous journey and arrive on the shores of America where they could pursue their American Dream. There were no guarantees, only the hope of a better future for the immigrant and their progeny. The difficulty of the journey without assurance of success created a filter which caused immigrants to self-select for the characteristics of a strong work ethic, self-motivation, entrepreneurism, innovation, optimism and faith. These are the characteristics we aspire to attribute to being “American.” 

Immigration in reasonable amounts is good for a nation. Optimally the newcomers bring new ideas, new enthusiasm and help stave off stagnation and calcification. Overcoming the challenges presented by new immigrants strengthens the society and increases resiliency.  

It is said that poison is in the dose. The correct amount can be curative or even healthy, but an overdose can prove fatal. A society can accept and assimilate new members at a certain rate. More than that overstresses the system and much more than that can cause a collapse. Just as lifeboats have a definitive number of passengers they can carry, a society has a capacity to accept immigrants. Exceed that capacity and everyone drowns.

A 2021 Gallup survey shows that 16% of adults worldwide would immigrate to the United States if given the opportunity. That is nearly a billion people, three times our current population. Obviously this would be a socioeconomic disaster which would crush our systems … and everyone drowns. Unrestricted, open border immigration is obviously NOT the answer.  

If you are going to have a reasonable immigration policy then you need to decide what society wants out of immigration. You then need to design a system to deliver those results. It should provide for the smooth integration and assimilation of new immigrants in a way that does not displace or negatively impact existing citizens.  

It should recognize different needs of both the immigrant and the marketplace. Is the immigrant a refugee, worker or retiree? Will they contribute to or depend on socioeconomic support programs? Are they seeking temporary or permanent residency? Do they have a criminal record? Do they have a needed skill? If you start by arguing the details of existing programs you may miss the big picture.  

There are also “non-immigration” factors that impact immigration and need to be considered. These include: 

• Public education; our K-12 system is not adequately preparing students to become productive and self-sufficient. The emphasis towards white collar careers and away from the trades has produced a scarcity that immigrants are eager to fill. A plumber in California can bill at $500/hour which is twice what an attorney would cost.  

• Remote working; a technology company like Microsoft can fire thousands of domestic workers and then hire a contractor to provide offshore sweatshop programmers. One solution could be to put a tariff on intellectual property (software) generated offshore and imported to the U.S.  

• AI and robotics; automation will continue to replace workers in manufacturing, agriculture and service industries. AI will become prominent in the medical and legal professions.  

• Minimum wage; the minimum wage is and always will be zero. The idea that you can set a minimum “first wage” across all geographies and industries is silly because you are trying the fix a wristwatch with a sledgehammer. Remove the artificial price fixing and allow the market to set rates. Use tariffs to level the field.  

• Entrepreneurship; the digital economy is creating new products and services daily. Regulations should be minimized to favor new technology job creation.  

A reasonable, well defined and fair immigration policy could also have some of the following features: 

• Student visas for full tuition students with no domestic scholarships.  

• Guest Worker visas for seasonal agricultural jobs. 

Tariffs on foreign products being sold at below market rates, including intellectual property (e.g. software) to remove the financial incentives for offshore iPhone sweat shops. 

Americans need rational, fair and beneficial immigration policies and as citizens it is our duty to insist our representatives craft and pass immigration laws that serve the general good. 

It’s just common sense.

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Brent Regan is chairman of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee.