Immigration has been part of the American story since our founding, to the benefit of our nation.
Sometimes, we’ve welcomed immigrants, like in the years of mass voluntary migration from Europe through Ellis Island. Other times, our policies have been explicitly anti-immigrant, like the Chinese Exclusion Act or the refusal to admit Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis. In the 1970s, we welcomed thousands of Asian refugees fleeing socialism and war. In the 1980s, Congress passed legislation to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for green cards and eventual citizenship.
This legacy of welcome has built America with every successive wave of newcomers renewing our spirit and strengthening our culture. Immigrants benefit our economy, filling open jobs at all skill levels. Foreign born workers pick our crops; provide childcare; and build our homes. Immigrants are entrepreneurs and job creators. They help drive innovation in the U.S. and have made numerous contributions to American art, music, and sports. Immigrants have proudly served our nation in the U.S. military, protecting America’s freedom.
Today, U.S. policy on immigration is indisputably harsh. Spouses of U.S. citizens who arrive at green card interviews have been arrested. Asylum seekers showing up to mandatory court hearings are being detained. Immigrants with temporary legal status are being stripped of their protections despite continued dysfunction in their home countries. Policies such as these are not designed to ensure Americans’ safety and security.
Maximum enforcement, including mass detention and removal, shouldn’t be misinterpreted as a course correction in favor of security. These policies are uniquely unwelcoming, targeting immigrants regardless of legal status or criminal history.
We can be a lawful society and a welcoming society at the same time. Fortunately, the welcome endures in the actions of everyday Americans demonstrating compassion for our foreign-born neighbors.
On International Migrants Day, we are thankful for the Americans who want to ensure the United States remains a beacon of freedom and opportunity. These American embody the spirit of out of man, one, working with our new neighbors to ensure America endures.
And to the immigrants who continue to believe in the American dream, our country is stronger with you here.
