Open Immigration

Open Immigration

Although there is growing support for getting tough on illegal immigration by strengthening border security and proposing changes to the US legal immigration system, there is little evidence to support such drastic actions.   Supporters of these immigration restrictions fail to make convincing arguments as to why they are necessary.   Thomas E. Leman in “Coming to America: The Benefits of Open Immigration” dispels some of these conventional myths against open immigration.  
The main purpose of this article is to briefly discuss our current open immigration policy and illustrate some of the fallacies surrounding it. No additional restrictions are necessary since our current immigration laws prohibit foreigners from entering the U.S. without permission. Yet our country was formed by people fleeing from political or economic oppression so why do we now wish to deny others the same privilege as our ancestors?  
The key issue Lehman is addressing is the misconception that a significant increase in immigrants will place a financial burden on taxpayers and negatively impact our culture and institutional framework.   A majority of immigrants tend to come to the United States during the start of their working years, (18-35).   While here they make significant contributions to our two largest income programs: Social Security and Medicare.   We must always remember American tradition is based on limited government and free market economies, not cultural or ethnic origins.
The most important information in the article are the facts and logic he uses to dismiss the erroneous beliefs surrounding immigration:

• America has unprecedented and unmanageable immigration. The U.S. immigration system is limited and highly regulated. A U.S. citizen can sponsor a spouse, parent, sibling, or minor or adult child. A lawful permanent resident can sponsor only a spouse or a child. Only about 9% of the population is foreign (1996).
• Free immigration will destroy “working class...