It’s easy to get caught up in the challenges associated with immigration: controversy over the U.S.-Mexico border, discomfort with demographic change in urban and rural communities, and so on. But we can’t ignore the benefits that immigration and immigrants produce for America.
We are “a nation of immigrants,” as President John F. Kennedy wrote. Aside from Native Americans, we are here because our ancestors chose to immigrate — or, in the case of many African Americans, were brought here against their will. We’ve always debated how much to welcome immigrants, but there’s no question they contribute to the strength and vitality of our country.
We can all name immigrants who have added immeasurably to America’s commercial, cultural and public life. They include scientists and inventors like Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, business innovators like Andrew Carnegie and Google’s Sergey Brin, former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright, and dozens of popular entertainers, artists and athletes.
In this election year, however, we’re more likely to hear claims that immigrants are bad for the country. Donald Trump, in his campaign for the presidency, links immigration to crime and violence, even repeating the thoroughly debunked claim that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are eating dogs and cats.
Of course, we have a long history of being suspicious of immigrants. As early as 1798, the Alien and Sedition Acts targeted immigrants for allegedly spreading threatening ideas. The Know Nothing party of the 1800s relied on anti-immigrant sentiment. A surge of immigration around the turn of the 20th century brought a backlash. The anti-immigrant Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s had enormous clout.
Then, as now, opponents said immigrants increase crime, take American jobs and weaken American culture. In reality, none of these claims are true.
Research consistently finds that immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than native-born Americans, and increases in immigration haven’t raised the crime rate. Yes, we can find examples of horrific crimes committed by immigrants, but most immigrants are law-abiding and hard-working. Studies also find that immigrants are less likely than others to rely on government benefits. The jobs they hold, often in health care, construction, agriculture and hospitality, are jobs that employers have trouble filling. Workers worried about job security have more to fear from technology.
Immigrants are our neighbors, our co-workers and the people who care for our children and our elderly. They account for nearly 14% of the U.S. population, and most are here legally. They pay more than $500 billion a year in taxes. In many areas, their arrival has offset a population decline as the native-born population ages.
Importantly, immigrants also bring skills that are essential to our economy. A significant number are college graduates. Immigrants account for over 22% of U.S. entrepreneurs, 15% of nurses and nearly a quarter of workers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, according to an American Immigration Council report. An Eli Lilly & Co. vice president added this: “What many people may not know is that our diabetes and weight loss medicine that is often in the headlines was invented by four people here in our home state of Indiana — three of whom are immigrants to our country.”
Opening the doors to such high-skilled immigrants should be a policy priority, but our immigration laws haven’t been significantly updated since 1986. Our current system prioritizes family unification, a laudable goal, but it hasn’t kept pace with changes in the economy.
We need a modern, streamlined immigration system that advances America’s national interests, secures the border, reflects our values and treats people as human beings, regardless of their circumstances. We can start by recognizing the benefits that immigrants produce for America – and the even greater benefits that they can produce in the future.
Lee Hamilton is a distinguished scholar at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies and senior advisor for the Indiana University Center on Representative Government. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.
