– Diana Furchtgott-Roth, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor, is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. The opinions expressed are her own. —
The first Thanksgiving festival was celebrated in 1621 in Massachusetts by the Pilgrims, immigrants to America, out of gratitude for a plentiful harvest.
As we sit around our Thanksgiving tables this Thursday, almost all of us immigrants or their descendants, we’re reminded that one of President-elect Obama’s most important challenges will be to mend our broken immigration policy.
Instead of a rational immigration system, we have occasional raids by immigration officers on plants suspected of employing illegals. Then come deportations that may separate an undocumented parent and children whose birth in the United States made them citizens.
The most controversial facet of the immigration challenge is what to do about the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants. Most are unlikely to return to their native lands, even in today’s tough economic climate.
Nor would we want them to do so. They work at jobs that few Americans choose to do, both in high-skill area—scientific and medical research, for instance—and in mundane yet essential low-skill jobs, such as gardening, washing cars, and cleaning.
In 2007, Congress did not pass President Bush’s comprehensive immigration proposals, supported by the Democratic leadership and many Republicans. Will Obama succeed where Bush failed?
Obama’s proposal mirrors the bill that failed: increased border protection; more visas for new immigrants; penalties for employers who hire undocumented workers; and eventual citizenship for undocumented workers already here, after payment of a fine. It would be a major improvement.
But with unemployment rising, if Congress won’t pass immigration reform, it could still improve the functioning of American labor markets with narrower action. It could authorize the Department of Labor to decide on its own the number of work permits and temporary visas to be issued each calendar quarter.
Every year, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), as instructed by law, issues 65,000 H-1b temporary visas for skilled workers. These lucky workers are certified by the Labor Department out of approximately 630,000 approved applications from employers. Immigrants who hold H-1b visas must return to their home countries when their jobs end.
Yet, as the numbers show, most applicants do not get a visa. Many skilled foreign college graduates who have been studying in America, often at American taxpayer expense, are denied access to American jobs. They must leave, taking their intellectual achievements and valuable skills with them.
Foreign workers benefit the American economy. They pay taxes. They keep laboratories and motels, high-tech shows and construction sites, running. They cannot if they are sent away.
For 2009, the H-1b visa cap of 65,000 was reached one week after the start of the application process on April 1, 2008. That represents a tiny part of the U.S. labor force of 154 million. Even if the quota were raised to 150,000, that would be less than one tenth of 1% of the labor force. Such a quota would still deny admission to the vast majority of prospective applicants who don’t apply due to the small likelihood of success.
Whereas Congress is ill-suited to change laws each time the economy goes up or down, the Labor Department has both the expertise to evaluate changing labor markets and the flexibility to adjust visa quotas. Congress should consider letting the Labor Department make quarterly decisions about how many visas to issue.
When unemployment rises, the Department would issue fewer visas; when it goes down, visas could be increased. The Department could manage visas without causing undue burden on U.S. workers or community facilities, such as schools and hospitals.
Allowing the Labor Department to adjust legal immigration every quarter would help America. President-elect Obama could leave behind the rancor and division over immigration that have plagued the Bush administration, and set a new tone for a new year. That would be something to be thankful for next Thanksgiving.
Diana Furchtgott-Roth can be reached at dfr@hudson.org.
I question if Americans really don't want to do the jobs that these immigrants perform. But really that is a side issue. The main concern is whether or not we should be support illegal immigration. Nobody would question the importance of immigrants to the workforce - particularly if there is a lack of labor in certain key areas. I am just not certain why we turn a blind eye to illegal immigration. Apart from being fair to those who work legally, I am also concerned by the mistreatment of employees who might have poor communication skills and a low level of education.
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Yes, immigration levels should be a small percentage of the prior year’s employment growth. Sending jobs offshore would lessen the employment based immigration privilege.
Realistically, immigration levels must be adjusted to reflect the new employment paradigm.
Data:
BLS Employment Growth over NonInstCiv Population Growth by Decade:
1950s
Population Growth = 11,516,000
Employment Growth = 7,215,000 (63%)
1960s
Population Growth = 19,449,000
Employment Growth = 13,862,000 (71%)
1970s (Mexico Depression)
Population Growth = 30,811,000
Employment Growth = 21,224,000 (69%)
1980s
Population Growth = 20,865,000
Employment Growth = 17,685,000 (85%)
1990s
Population Growth = 21,667,000
Employment Growth = 16,998,000 (78%)
2000s
Population Growth = 24,795,000
Employment Growth = 11,953,000 (48%)
We can see that in the decade of the 2000’s, employment growth has fallen by 5 million jobs and population growth is 3 million higher than the 1990’s.
These are June 2008 unadjusted population and employment levels.
I am unemployed because of the H1-B visa program.
This program is hopelessly corrupt and cannot
be reformed. It needs to be abolished.
I question if Americans really don’t want to do the jobs that these immigrants perform. But really that is a side issue. The main concern is whether or not we should be support illegal immigration. Nobody would question the importance of immigrants to the workforce - particularly if there is a lack of labor in certain key areas. I am just not certain why we turn a blind eye to illegal immigration. Apart from being fair to those who work legally, I am also concerned by the mistreatment of employees who might have poor communication skills and a low level of education.
As a former “illegal alien”: now a proud US Citizen; I find myself in a great heart felt dilemma. With ambivalent emotions and thoughts regarding this immigration issue. In one hand, it really bothers me the terms used to describe the mass of people who (in their majority) come here with the sole desire to improve their quality of life. I guess if you consider that, we are not much of an “alien” after all, but rather have a lot in common with everyone else living here in the US. A better life style. These are not second citizen of the world, there are human beings just like anyone else looking to get ahead: it think that’s the image that the US has cultivated in other countries, the land of opportunity.
But I also sympathize with the people loosing their jobs and currently struggling in this economy and the way the government is treating the immigration issue here in the US. Our immigration policy is weak and flaw. No arguments there. We should have zero tolerance for individuals who come here and commit despicable crimes. If they are caught, they are gone. There is an interesting fact that I have never, never heard in any and I mean ANY news broadcast media mention: TIN: Tax payer’s ID number.
This number is issued by the IRS to “illegal aliens” or undocumented workers; for the sole purpose of filing tax returns. I hear a lot of expenses incurred by “illegals” on our economy and health system. With insinuations of stealing. When we file tax returns, depending on our income we either, pay or get a refund. 90% of us, usually get a refund. These illegals with a TIN number get 0; yes ZERO; although by all calculations they should receive about an average of $3500.00 Dollars. No one mentions this, I wonder way?
Also, no complains about the thousand of US Citizens who have the ability and the “liberty” to look for employment in this land of opportunity but yet decide to abuse and steal from our welfare system by filing fraudulent claims each month.
This thanksgiving I am grateful to live in this country by the sacrifice my mother made 30+ years ago by traveling through Central America, Mexico to get here; risking her life and ours in the process.
I hope that this next administration will be one of CHANGE, but CHANGE not only in policy but in our individual perspectives. Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
From the perspective of 50 years in Denver: this sanctuary city is seriously damaged by unfettered access by companies to employ illegal migrants. Employers benefit when they can hire cheap labor which they can intimidate and fire for no more reason than a sullen look. Fifteen percent of the illegals are criminals, running from the law in their homelands. Denver\’s schools are over-run by migrant families who see little value in education and allow their children to drop-out at 16 to join the unskilled labor class. Not long ago McDonald\’s workers represented the Denver population, all of a sudden the workers are ALL Mexican, some not even speaking English. Hospital emergency waiting rooms are filled with migrants seeking cures for minor health problems at public expense. Uncontrolled illegal immigration is devastating this country, especially the west. If you don\’t believe me, look at El Paso…it is now hardly distinguishable from Juarez, Mexico. Even their drug crime bosses seek medical refuge in El Paso. Will the Obama Administration and the Democratic Congress have the political backbone to control the border and regulate employer\’s hiring practices? Let me say finally, this situation damages the reputation of the many solid, long-term Colorado Hispanic families by fostering racism. No, I am not a conservative or Republican, I am a Democrat who has a 50 year perspective on Denver.
Does this economist know that at present there are about 10 million unemployed Americans, many of them who are less educated but quite able to do these low-paying jobs but who are foreced to compete with 7 million illegal aliens in our workforce? How can anyone with any intellect argue that we need MORE foreign workers?
And can we put an end to all this talk about our “brutal” immigration party that is “tearing apart families?” The full responsibility for families being separate lies with the those who deliberately violated our immigration laws and put their family members, including children, in harm’s way. By the way, these families don’t have to remain separated because the deportees are free to leave this country with their children.
Dave Gorak
Executive director
Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration
LaValle, WI
http://www.immigrationreform.org
She says “Yet, as the numbers show, most applicants do not get a visa. Many skilled foreign college graduates who have been studying in America, often at American taxpayer expense, are denied access to American jobs”
This is a bare faced lie. In April, the Department of Homeland Security increased the OPT training portion of the F1 Student Visa from 1 year to 29 months for ‘STEM’, making it roughly equivelent to an H-1b. As a former senior offial at the department of labor, I do NOT give her the ‘benefit of the doubt’ for not knowing that. She also didnt mention 20,000 ‘masters only’ H-1b, the recent increase to 3 years for the TN visa, or the countless L1 visas, all alternatives to the H-1b. She has deliberately misrepresented material that there is no way she would not have known, given her background.
We just forked over a trillion plus, easily approaching 2 trillion and climbing, we are told ‘to help stave off a depression’, yet, she wants to stuff foreign workers into a program proven by Senators Grassley and Durbin, to be full of fraud and abuse. A program that facilitates outsourcing of critical data to cities full of terrorism. Real smart.
from her website “From February 2003 to April 2005 Ms. Furchtgott-Roth was chief economist of the U.S. Department of Labor. Previously she served as chief of staff at the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. ”
Yeah, how’s that working out? Would you accept economic advice from someone with that background?
I notice how abusively the United States government treats its own legal citizens in so many areas from trampling the Constitution to starting imperial wars of choice, to offshoring jobs to communist dictatorships to failing to protect public health and safety in food, to allowing companies to default on worker’s pensions and pay exhorbitant salaries to corporate and Wall Street theives.
Immigration is another wedge issue designed to exploit and abuse American citizens by ignoring existing immigration laws and allowing a flood of illegals to undercut American workers, bring down wages, send money out of the country, weaken unions, raise taxes on legal citizens, disrespect basic law and order, bring unvaccinated disease into the nation, and change the language and the culture of the nation.
Why do Americans put up with such abusive treatment from their own government? If Ms. Furchtgott-Roth wants to argue the merits of immigration, her pension should be government pension cut and her job at the Hudson Institute should be put on the chopping block as well. I’m sure we can find an perfectly qualified illegal to do her job at the Hudson Institute for 10% of her wage and with no benefits. Those who argue for immigration and excuse illegal immigration should pay the consequences of their words and lose their jobs to bring them back down to earth where workers and familes live.
legal citizens of a
Its all about the economy, right? Lets remove all boarders and consider every person in the world an american who just hasn’t moved here yet. Lets make american citizenship or residency the cheapest and easiest in the world to obtain so business can keep wages low and politicians can fall over themselves to pander to their special interests. Whatever keeps the gluttony train rolling is good. When the economy falters, we can go to whatever country has a surplus of people in it and import people from that country so we’ll have more consumers to buy stuff made in china, it’ll be good for the economy. After all there really is no “america” after all, its just a made up thing by those racist, war mongering people all those years ago.
Don’t worry about all these details. The last time we had a depression like this one we had WW2 to get out of it. We still have Gates, terrorism and Israel so oil and debt need not be in front of a war with Iran. India should now have enough reason to supply manpower against the terrorists. What a horror! John
She says, “But with unemployment rising…” and moves on to a rather strange conclusion under the circumstances. We are drowning in immigration. Adam seems to make a lot of sense.
Why are they here at taxpayer expense to get a degree in the first place. If we have money for education lets use it for US citizens.
GOP, with its anti-immigrant and anti-Latino stand during last summer’s failed immigration debate, have doomed itself. Being the WASP party in a rapidly diversifying nation means that the GOP will never win another election again. Now, they have to stop listening to racist fear mongerers such as Senator Sessions, Lou Dobbs and other mistakes of nature and support the right thing. Deporting millions is not an alternative. By now, it appears that a comprehensive immigration reform with path to citizenship is a matter of when, not if! I hope it happens within the first 2 years of Obama’s administration.
It is quite obvious this columnist has no clue about the realities of illegal labor in its depth or breadth. I work in the hospitality industry, which is overrun with illegal immigrants. Even those who truly wish to become citizens, which is small minority of them, falsify their tax information to claim as much as 6 times their rightful tax withholdings, will work undocumented if they find an employer willing to do so, and often send the majority of their pay out of the country to wherever they came from to support their families abroad. These are wonderful people(I truly mean this with my whole heart), but their children bankrupt school systems because the proper amount of taxes are not being paid into the system, they do undercut legal citizens ability to make a liveable wage, and to believe the educated foreigners turned away for their applications to visas is more than one-hundred thousandth of a percent of the immigration issue at hand would be simple denial of the true substance of the issue at hand. As for “jobs Americans won’t do” retoric; that is simply absurd. I know of many many American citizens who were born and raised here who wish their construction job hadn’t just been swept away by an undocumented latino who works for $60 cash per day.
A less politised system seems like a very good idea. But, as a Canadian its an interesting dilema. Cuts to the H1B program have been quite benificial to us. For instance, Microsoft recently opened a new facility in Vancouver where our less politised immigration policy allows them recruit sufficient skilled workers. So perhaps the current state of affiars isn’t such a bad thing, for us anyway
James…
Your ‘let’s do this’ and ‘they should do that’ is typical of people who want to simplify complex issues to 10 words or less. Not realistic or constructive, and as an employer, lets put Americans to work sounds nice, but is not realistic. The jobs immigrant workers do are available to ‘American Kids’ and if they wanted to do the job, the opportunity is there, it just seems to me that quite a few domestic workers are so much more concerned about what their employers are going to do for them. We stand a pretty good chance of becoming an less productive nanny state if we choose pander to workers sense of entitlement. In countries like Canada, and unions talk about peoples ‘right’ to earn a good living, earning a good living is not a right, it is something people should be motivated to do, being driven to success is what has made America great. Looking back it has been immigrants driven to success in a more free economy, than available anywhere else, that has allowed the United States to become the country that it is. I say we need more of that…
Max
There are too many American kids out of work already. I say it’s time for a change. Stop letting big business benefit from cheap labor and put Americans back to work. Stop undercutting their ability to make a living wage and we will discover there are NO jobs that Americans just won’t do.
Immigration reform will only better our Economic woes, Think about this, if only 50 % of the undocumented buy houses, cars, appliances, open bank accounts, pay Taxes, How many TRILLIONS that will bring into the economy?
The only way to go is Immigration Reform.
Even the Republicans learn t their lesson the hear way in this election.
“An analysis by America’s Voice of 21 “battleground” races for House and Senate seats found that pro-immigration-reform candidates beat enforcement-only “hardliners” in 19 of the races. “Americans voters have shown they prefer fair and practical solutions over anti-immigrant rhetoric that sidesteps the real problem,” said Angela Kelley, Director of the Immigration Policy Center”
Immigration numbers are highest in our history. We are not an empty country west of the Mississipi any longer. The west has been settled. So don’t act like we are keeping everyone out.
Illegals come at alarming rates. It is bankrupting many states. It is dangerous since the criminals just walk into “Sanctuary Cities”. Crime and murder is up from poverty and lack of jobs.
We are lawless with no borders or rules. There are wars with invading Mexicans yet Bush does nothing. Their leaders want what we have and make no bones that they deserve it. Do they think Iowa and Illinois are their’s from the past too?
Got news for pro-Latino groups. All those border states had a democratic choice to join Mexico if they wanted. The people of those states (Hispanics, American Indians, etc.landowners and residents) chose to join the United State with a Constitution and borders. You can’t go back to that time now.
Diana Scheissgoth Roth is absolutely correct. This is a very good plan.