[rajubhai55]

I was casually searching for information on history of immigration to USA and came across this study

Immigrants in the United States, 2007

World has changed and USA should change course or maybe not?

My thoughts for discussion are what changes in immigration policy are required:

1. No Immigration
2. Reduce Immigration by 50%.
3. Allow only Illegal Immigration.
4. Immigration based on Skills and Education (Currently followed by Canada and Australia)
5. Immigration based on Family ties, refuges etc
   

Also I came across this recently:
‘That Used to Be Us’

[kenafein]

Don't allow illegal immigration, improve the H1A and H1B visas and allow those candidates a path to citizenship after sometime. Right now illegal immigrants are exploited specifically because they are illegal. For one, they pay into social security and will never get that money back. Another they have no recourse of law to protest unfair and exploitative treatment by employers. It's really hard to turn anyone away. I want to be able to allow anyone who wants to come here access, but they have to do it through the legal channels. Certainly priority should be given to those with skills and education that will help improve the country for all and to those that are persecuted in their own countries. It is a very difficult topic.

[les3547]

I posted this in another thread a few days ago:

Then there's this very interesting plan in Michigan I first heard about last night on Dan Rather's HDNET news program (a consistently excellent program, BTW) that is introduced with "We sit down with Michigan Governor Rick Snyder to discuss a plan that he says will bring new jobs to struggling Michiganders. It’s a plan though, that has left some other people scratching their heads — the Governor says one way to solve Michigan’s job crisis, is to bring more immigrants to the state."

A related article:

IMMIGRANTS CAN ENERGIZE DETROIT

Whatever you think of Detroit, it is hard to imagine Michigan thriving if our largest city isn’t on some kind of road to prosperity.

And plenty of folks, both business-oriented (think DTE Energy, Business Leaders for Michigan) and philanthropic (think the Kresge, Skillman and Hudson-Webber Foundations) are committed to and heavily invested in the city’s success.

Then there is Steve Tobocman, a former state representative whose district included Southwest Detroit, who has been particularly imaginative and energetic in dreaming up good ideas based on immigration and land bank policies. Nor is he alone.

At last week’s New Michigan Media Conference on Immigration and Michigan’s Economic Future, Gov. Rick Snyder urged the state to embrace immigrants as job producers. Let’s welcome “the best and the brightest from around the world.” he said, calling tough-on-immigrant legislation passed by other states unconstructive and divisive. Snyder recited statistics that showed more than half of all newly formed high-tech companies in Silicon Valley were started by immigrants. He also pointed to Michigan companies started by immigrants: Dow Chemical, Meijer and Masco.

The track record of immigrants in powering Michigan’s economy is plain. According to Tobocman, Michigan ranks third in the country in the percentage of high-tech firms started by immigrants: 32.8 percent.

In fact, nearly one-sixth of all businesses started in Michigan between 1996 and 2007 were launched by immigrants; in all, these 2,276 businesses generated $1.5 billion in revenue in 2000 alone.

Additionally, Tobocman says the numbers show immigrants are nearly three times as likely to start a business as are native-born Americans.

Want more evidence of how beneficial immigrants can be? A perfect example of their power to make a large difference to an economy is Vancouver, British Columbia, which experienced one of the largest movements of liquid capital in recent years.

Flash back to 1997, when China’s avowedly communist government took control of Hong Kong from the British. The Hong Kong business community, predominately Chinese, was terrified. Vancouver recognized a terrific opportunity. Vancouver offered to give all families immigrating from Hong Kong with at least $1 million in assets a work permit — and a clear path to citizenship.

Vancouver is today one of the most prosperous cities on the North American continent, in large part because of its massive inflow of rich, capable, experienced Chinese business families.

Could we do much the same thing to revitalize our distressed urban areas such as Detroit? Why not?

Legally, the framework already exists. Congress created something called an EB-5 visa for immigrant investors as part of the Immigration Act of 1990. This visa provides a way for immigrants to get a work permit (the so-called “green card”) — provided they invest at least $500,000 in a business that creates at least 10 jobs.

Tobocman, an attorney who is now head of the Global Detroit Initiative, has studied these matters. He says 10,000 places are offered under the EB-5 program each year, but that more than two-thirds of them go unfilled for want of applications.

That’s clear proof that all the tools are available for Detroit to set up a program to recruit and welcome immigrants who come with capital and willingness to start a business to employ local people. Nor is the opportunity limited to people currently abroad.

There are more than 20,000 foreign nationals currently studying at Michigan universities, many for advanced degrees in engineering and math. Why not reach out to them before they decide to take their degrees and knowledge back home?

Seriously, what’s not to like about a program like this? Anti-immigration forces argue that immigrants take jobs from local people. But exactly the opposite is the case f they come under the EB-5 program. They create jobs. That’s especially true when they are encouraged to start local businesses, employing local people.

Tobocman knows the numbers. In the June 23 Detroit News, Tobocman argued, “international immigration is the only significant population strategy of any scale that has worked across the Northeast and Midwest over the last 20 years. Southwest Detroit’s Hispanic community, east Dearborn’s Middle Eastern community and Hamtramck’s multiethnic community are the envy of every struggling neighborhood in the region.” He concluded, “Nothing is more powerful to remaking Detroit as a center of innovation, entrepreneurship and population growth than embracing and increasing immigrant populations and the entrepreneurial culture and global connections they bring.”

Tobocman, a Democrat, and Gov. Snyder, the top-ranking Republican in this state, are both right. Whether it’s a Global Michigan or a Global Detroit, our state stands to benefit big-time by putting out the welcome mat to resourceful, smart, ambitious people from around the world who want to make it big right here.

[rajubhai55]

When we talk about investment for $500,000 (minimum investment required for EB-5 visa), then hard economics comes into play. The person who has more than $500,000 to invest would obviously look at the rate of return on his investment. Since developing economies like China, India and Brazil have more than 6% GDP growth rate, any investment they make over there would give more return on investment than here in USA which has slow growth rate.

I believe that in this age of global economy, even when Federal Reserve reduces interest rate does not translate in increase in investment in US, because of the available option of investing in growing economies where return is more.

[nanhi]

Legal or illegal are plain semantics. America will always benefit, after all it is the land of immigrants. I know folks who have dedicated their lives, their research and their loyalty to America, and in return they have got plenty too.
Just that America should bring back all the little job skills they lost to China - making needles, cutlery, nuts and bolts, drills, hack saws etc etc - as these simple skills are building blocks and step ladders to higher technical skills. I remember how we were taught simple metal fitting skills at engineering school - and today I can proudly say I am a Master Mechanic.
Please America go back to basics, as without it there is real danger of loosing the higher tech skills required to put man on Mars or ......

[wildman]

In an ideal world -

Immigration policy should only consider the needs of the receiving country.

The days of indiscriminate mass immigration legal or otherwise should come to an end in the States.

Immigration based, more or less, only on obviously needed critical Skills and/or Education .

Beyond the above a small limited number could be considered case by case.

[Nesster]

...except that the American economy needs immigrants to continue growing for the benefit of us all...

[wildman]

...except that the American economy needs immigrants to continue growing for the benefit of us all...

I know that's the conventional wisdom but it's not clear that in the future that will be true and in any case sheer growth is not the only value to be considered.

In any case I'm willing to take my chances on a more limited selective policy.
Of course I could be wrong but that's my best guess.

[Hambino]

Let everyone that's want to come come. Seriously, the more the merrier :-D

[shooz]

Let's face it.
This could be their future.

Meet The Child Workers Who Pick Your Food | Mother Jones

[Gooshin]

Let everyone that's want to come come. Seriously, the more the merrier :-D

says someone that lives in a country with one of the worlds strictest immigration policies

[les3547]

While the US can no longer be a refuge for the poor, huddled masses of the world, I also don't think Americans should become anti-immigration. Nor should we make public statements that cause currently legal immigrants, and those hoping for legal status, feel unwelcome. The variety of contributions from so many different cultures is part of what makes America unique. The nativistic/anti-multicultural/ethnocentric views of the far right will turn America into an island at a time when partnering with the rest of the world is the way to go.

So it should be made clear that the concern is illegal immigration, and ONLY illegal immigration. Even then we should keep the hate and anger out of it (as per Lou Dobbs), and instead just work to fix things. It doesn't cost us anything to empathize with people wanting to escape their negative circumstances (most of us would feel the same if in the same situation), yet firmly insist that world conditions are such that it makes more sense for the world to work together to help each country get on its own feet.

[shooz]

it makes more sense for the world to work together to help each country get on its own feet.

WE are the 99%

[Hambino]

says someone that lives in a country with one of the worlds strictest immigration policies

Yup. Living overseas makes me even prouder to be American (not that I don't love Japan and the Japanese b/c I do, I really, really do. However, it can be quite an unwelcoming place to be at times ).

[Ratmagiclady]

Let everyone that's want to come come. Seriously, the more the merrier :-D

Well, I don't know about 'merrier,' but I suspect I may be among very few here willing to call Libertas a Goddess.


(And in our case, America's always been proud to say, 'give me your tired, your hungry, your poor, your huddled masses yearnign to breathe free,.... And I don't think She was taken to mean, 'So we can make them motel cleaners or wal-mart greeters.' '

One thing that's clear, though: Scapegoating immigrants has become almost a hazing ritual of our 'melting pot' and the real problem is not the borders, so much as the profiteering that means 'illegal' labor or people trafficked as slaves are once again 'profitable' by the 'invisible hand of the market.'



It's not *about* the borders. It's about what's on either side.