America is the most generous country in the world and is home to more immigrants, legal and illegal, than any other nation. Yet, our immigration system is broken. The legal pathway to citizenship is convoluted and exceedingly difficult to navigate, deterring many people from pursuing legal entry. As the issue stands currently, there are three main legal pathways to citizenship in the United States: employer-based immigration, family-based immigration, and asylum. Each of these has stringent requirements.
Coupled with an insecure border, many individuals, well intentioned or not, are tempted to cross illegally rather than endure the complex legal pathway to citizenship. An insecure border also creates backlogs in the legal pathway that divert resources to manage the influx of undocumented migrants. Until the second Trump administration, this was a strain that left the U.S. Border Patrol grappling with the issues of recruitment, retention, and morale.
Despite these challenges, legal immigration has economic benefits. Immigrants fill in where there are critical job shortages, boost productivity, and raise GDP, which enhances incomes for themselves and native born citizens. There is also a notable rise in high-skilled immigration, which drives innovation—particularly in STEM fields where there is a concentration in research, development, and entrepreneurship often outpacing native citizens.
Here’s the issue of legal immigration in 60 seconds: