Some Advice for President Obama

Immigration, both legal and illegal, was the silent issue in the presidential campaign--despite the rapidly deteriorating economic conditions. I suspect that the worsening labor market will force President Obama to wrestle with the immigration issue sooner rather than later. It'll be hard to justify a system that lets in nearly 1.5 million new immigrants each year at a time when millions of Americans are losing their jobs.

The editors at the New York Post asked me if I had any constructive advice to give our new president about how one could approach the problem. Here is an excerpt:

,,,Our economic woes also create an opportunity - for they will encourage many illegals to return home, potentially removing a red flag that has made rational policymaking politically impossible.

The failure of the Bush "comprehensive immigration reform" shows us that many Americans are unwilling to provide amnesty (under any name) to 12 million illegals, especially when the border remains porous and we would simply have to consider yet another amnesty a few years down the road. A real solution is one that resolves the issue for the long term - several decades, at the least.

How does the downturn make it easier to address this issue? Simply put, illegal immigration is highly responsive to economic conditions - when times are bad, fewer come (and more return home).

President Obama can take a very simple step to complement this "natural" reduction: speed up the widespread adoption of the E-Verify program. This program lets employers compare the records of their new hires with more than 500 million records held by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration.

A simple scan - no more complex than scanning your bank card at the grocery store - would quickly tell employers if their new hire is authorized to work.

Many employers will object - especially those who prefer to hide behind claims that they don't know if any given worker is illegal. Nor does expanding E-Verify provide the "showy" symbol that some politicians prefer - like building a taller and stronger fence on the Mexican border. But any fence, no matter how tall and strong, is bound to be ineffective. Around 40 percent of illegal immigrants don't enter through that border.

Instead, E-Verify detects illegal immigrants at the place where such detection is costliest to them - as they try to get a job. It also makes employers more accountable for their actions. It should greatly slow down the number of illegals entering the country.

With those tensions reduced, Americans would be much more willing to revisit the issue of what to do with the illegals already here. And a little patience and benign neglect can have a large payoff in this matter.

A widespread amnesty may not be needed in just a few years. The deep recession and stricter enforcement will encourage many illegal immigrants to return.

Meanwhile, millions of those who remain will sprout deep roots by marrying and having children (who will be US citizens by birth). These family ties will make many illegal immigrants eligible for legal status within existing law.

And in a world with greatly reduced illegal immigration, it would be easier to enact minor changes in current law to speed up the granting of permanent visas to relatives of citizens.

The economy also presents a unique opportunity for reforming legal immigration. Most of the legal immigrants enter the country without regard to how their skills match our labor-market needs. The lack of any skill filters - combined with the high volume of low-skill illegal immigration - aggravates the economic hardships faced by disadvantaged Americans.

We can both improve the status of our low-skill workforce and substantially increase the economic benefits to the nation from immigration by adopting a system that encourages the entry of high-skill immigrants. Surely, in time of economic duress, it's wise to fashion immigration policy in a way that is most beneficial to the country.

One little-noticed provision in the failed Bush proposal was the introduction of what is called a "point system" - which awards points to applicants with particular skills, and grants visas only to those who exceed a threshold level of points...Used wisely, immigration policy can be a tool that can help Americans even during difficult times. The new president has a historic opportunity to set the system right.

Comments

[Richard A.]

Professor Borjas,
The Bush Administration has made last minute changes in the H-2A visa (which is aimed at ag workers) regulations that among other things low balls the prevailing wage provision. The first thing Obama should do on immigration is to reinstate the more labor friendly Reagan H-2A regulations.

[Dee]

Professor B,
Your updated view and advice to President Obama is consistent with many ANTI Immigration Reformers updated view.
In a nutshell you are advocating:
1. Wishful Thinking that the Economy and Mandatory eVerify will either force the 12M into Mass Deportation via self deporting or staying in the shadows until their USA born children are 18 and can sponsor them. Meanwhile live in fear, in the shadows, afraid of the likes of Arpaio and his masked henchmen. This means continued Racial Profiling via the 287 (g) programs as practiced by Sheriff Arpaio and by Tulsa PD. This means more workplace ICE Raids which resulted in very inhumane treatment as Postville and in New Bedford.
2. eVerify Mandatory: Like this will ever happen. Big Business, the group that got us into this mess, will never allow for it.

These recommendations of yours create two huge problems for Latinos in our country.
1. Racial Profiling - ala Arpaio, his henchmen and the Tulsa PD.
2. Increase in Hate Crimes against Latinos. The FBI has said there is an increase in hate crimes against Latinos at Record Levels! Most recently we have seen this via the Beaner Jumpings in Long Island and in Pottsville, PA.
American Latinos will not stand for continued Racial Profiling, Hate Crimes, Ice Raids, 287(g) policies, inhumane Detention Centers. We voiced our vote in November. We will continue to do so in future elections. We need Immigration Reform that is Humane and also Stops the Hate!

[Dee]

Additionally, the recommendations for NEW Reformed Immigration Policies fools no one. If you make the requirements, Educated, Skilled, White, Northern European, then will you get the Immigrants you want?

[Dee]

As I mentioned, your recommendations are similar to those of the Heritage Foundation.
I reviewed theirs on my blog and several other blogs I co-author.

http://immigrationmexicanamerican.blogspot.com/2009/01/devil-is-in-details-heritage.html

[sanane]

thank youuu

[sandra]

Thank you Professor for a well written article. It is imperative that we enforce our immigration laws. We must implement e-verify in the workplace and a tamper proof I.D. card. We must secure our borders by any means possible. I think the 700 miles of fencing currently being constructed on the border is necessary to help the Border Patrol in the most post porous areas. No one is expecting it to be 100% effective but the goal should be to cut back illegal immigration as much as possible through border security and internal enforcement. We must never have another amnesty like the last one in 1986. Potential immigrants must be made aware that we will no longer tolerate them coming here without the necessary papers and if they succeed in doing so anyway they will be deported ASAP.

You are a true patriot Professor Borjas.

[Dee]

Professor B,
The problem your side has is extremists continue to hover amidst your ranks. Look at Sandra or others like her. They know nothing about the issues or the history. Their wish is to expell all Latinos from America.
Sandra and her sort are the majority on your side.

What did Obama say today:
"To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it."

People like Sandra and ALL those on your side do not seek to be inclusive. They seek to exclude. They want to build a big wall around our nation.

That isnt going to happen.

We are the land of the free, home of the brave.

We need to find a new way!

[sandra]

Listen you lying #@@$$. You don't know what I know or dont' know and it has nothing to do with the issue anyway. How dare you accuse me of wanting all Latinos removed from this country? When and where did I ever say that? It is only illegal immigraiton that I am opposed to, not legal immigration nor citizens of any ethnic group. So, STFU with your lies in here.

Don't seek to be inclusive? Who am I excluding? Illegal aliens are supposed to be excluded from entering our country according to our immigration laws. You can take your race card and shove it where the sun don't shine! You are a hateful POS everywhere you go and a pathological liar to boot. No one but your reconquista buds wants to post in your blog anymore and Ultima is there to make you look like the ethnocentric, racist fool that you are and he does an excellent job of it.

I strongly suggest Professor, that you kick this vile and hateful, lying POS off of your blog. She is trouble everywhere she goes and hates white America with a passion and is a seditionist among our society.

The "big" wall is only 700 miles long and it is to help out the Border Patrol. Sorry, that it slows down your agenda to fill this country up with your own ethnic kind against the laws of this country.

[T2]

Hurrah. Thank you for returning to your blog. I look forward to reading your posts.

[Dee]

Thank you Sandra, for proving my point.

[WestWright]

Dee is exactly the perfect example of the Extremist that she rails against. She's likely an Illegal Alien and has the same entitlement mentality of that criminal class.

[sandra]

Dee, you have no point! All you have is the race card, lies, false accusations and your ethnocentric racism.

[Jorge Romero-Habeych]

Dr. Borjas,
Welcome back, missed your posts! If one understands the basic Economic concept of incentives and has read a little bit of history then it doesn't take much to see that a 100 foot wall would not accomplish much in dealing with this nation's immigration issue. It would however accomplish a number of political objectives.

It is an Economic problem and can only be dealt with in such a way. The Economic slowdown will CONTINUE to give people the incentive to go back home. Further withdrawal of Economic incentives (welfare) will prove to be the key to the problem. The E-verify system brings up one issue that is of some concern to me, collateral damage. The E-verify system assumes that DHS and SSA are efficient bureaucracies, an oxymoron. What happens when an American citizen runs their SS number through the system and it comes back that their not allowed to be employed? What happens when innocent individuals accidentally end up in the no-fly list? I think that SSA's incompetency has been more than proven. We live in a country that at one point followed the rational that it is better to let nine guilty men go free than to imprison one innocent man. The E-verify system will surely violate that principle.
I agree with you on everything except you apparent support for E-verify.

It is a highly emotional issue, as the comments on this post show, emotions are blinding and rob us of our objectivity. A current granting of amnesty without prior understanding of what caused the problem will only lead to more of the same. It is unfortunate that the escape goat to horrible government and economic policies has been the immigrant, who is simply responding to economic incentives. You subsidize something, you get more of it!

It continues to amaze me how the word latino/hispanic has become synonymous with race. Saying someone is Hispanic is the same as saying someone is European. It is not a race. Hispanics can be white, black, mestizo, mulatto, asian, etc. I think most people have developed a stereotyped image of what a Hispanic looks like based on the heavy migration of Mexican and Central American Mestizos. I would suggest a little bit of traveling, it would be revealing.

[Paul]

Welcome back, I've missed your comments.

I have to agree with both of your points. Since the immigration issue is mostly about jobs, law enforcement needs to use point-of-hire actions. The eVerify system may not be perfect, but no human system is. It's far better than nothing.

Regarding a point system: Economists point out that policies which grow the economic pie often result in less equal shares. An immigration point system is an exception. By shifting visas to highly skilled workers, we grow the pie and we (should, in theory) make the shares more equal.

[Evinx]

The e-verify system is the only approach that will address the problem of those who over-extend their visas or arrive on tourist visas (via airplane)and then get employed.

IMO, the e-verify system should not only apply to employees but also to independent contractors. For example, large construction companies, to avoid legal requirements, hire smaller sub-contractors who hire individuals as independent contractors.

These individuals do not receive W-2 statements but receive 1099s for income exceeding $600/year. There has been no requirement to verify those I/C social security numbers. E-Verify could easily solve that + be simple to apply.

That would tighen up the existing loophole.

BTW, the existing I-9 form was supposed to accomplish what we hope e-verify will ultimately achieve. I-9 was a failure bcs it no one checks. E-verify can easily solve the I-9 shortcomings.

Glad you are back, Prof Borjas.

[sandra]

Jorge, it is only 700 miles of fencing to make the Border Patrols job easier and a physical barrier is a deterrant although won't stop illegal immigration completely. It has already been shown to cut back illegal immigration in the San Diego area by 80%. So your arguments against it are moot.

By the way, e-verify is like 99.6% accurate. That is very little room for error and the errors can be cleared up before an employee is unjustly fired. So what it boils down to is you have no viable arguments against the fence or e-verify.

[Dee]

Westwright,
Why not argue the point? Too difficult for you?

Regarding my citizenship status, my ancestors were here long before yours were. My family has been here over 200 years.

Westright said...
Dee is exactly the perfect example of the Extremist that she rails against. She's likely an Illegal Alien and has the same entitlement mentality of that criminal class.

Posted by: WestWright

[Dee]

Sandra,
Nothing like debating with legitimate statistics.
LOL

Sandra said...
By the way, e-verify is like 99.6% accurate.

[sandra]

Those are legitamate statistics as much as you hate them.

[Stu]

Dee is a good person and speaks from the heart. But Dee also illustrates clearly some of the perils of immigration. Dee's family has been living in America for more than 200 years. But despite this, Dee puts the interests of a foreign people, Mexicans, ahead of the interests of her fellow American Citizens.

Dee doesn't care about the harm that the flood of Mexicans is causing the USA. Doesn't care about the pain and problems the flood causes American citizens (of all races)

Dee's family lives in America for 200 years and still her loyalty is with Mexicans.

[D Flinchum]

Glad to see that you are back, Professor, and am pleased at most of your observations.

Sandra and Evinx are exactly correct on E-Verify. I worked in IT for over 35 years, often with large databases. When you are dealing with databases numbering in the millions, you will have errors; however, the best way to correct these errors is to use the database extensively and correct the mistakes as found. The more you correct, the better the database is for future usage.

There are errors on the IRS database, yet we don't hear people advocating that we stop collecting taxes and processing returns. There are errors on the SS database and the Medicare database, and yet we manage to send out SS checks monthly and to pay Medicare payments. Nobody suggests that we repeal Social Security and Medicare. In fact, there would be a great uproar if somebody made such a suggestion!

There is no credit card database in the world that is totally error-free, but no one suggests that we cease using credit cards. Same with utility bills, magazine subscriptions, and numerous payrolls and private pension plans.

Since I retired, I have spent quite a bit of volunteer time assisting people on Medicare through the Part D drug plans. I live in a section of the country where the population is relatively stable with many people living at the same house for 40 years or more. I find instances where the data that my client gives me disagrees with the Medicare database about 3% of the time. I have yet to encounter an error that we couldn't get straightened out in a couple of days, and most take only one phone call. Best of all, once corrected, the client's info is correct the next time we go through the annual open enrollment. Needless to say, nobody sued Medicare!

Nobody should be employed via BHO's jobs/stimulus program without being cleared by E-Verify. E-verify should be used prior to hiring anybody anywhere in the US. Just knowing that they will fall under E-Verify will discourage those who wish to work under false identity from even applying.

[sandra]

Stu, if you think Dee is a good person you are badly mistaken. I posted in her blog for awhile. She is a pathological liar among the other things that you have observed about her ethnoentric racism yourself. You have no idea what a hateful, lying individual she is.

[sandra]

Oh and another thing Stu, if Dee gets caught in one of her lies in her blog she deletes your post to destroy the evidence. If she is proven wrong about her claims she will NEVER admit it and deletes your posts. Some people post under anonymous in there. I have read all the anonymouses posts this week and watch them be deleted when Dee has been proven wrong or was caught in a lie and then she disables the anonymous posters ability to reply back. You have no idea how deceitful and biased Dee is.

[Bob]

I guess this blog is mostly concerned with the fact that low skilled immigrants make life hellish for American citizens who are born on the left half of the bell curve. Of course the immigrants fill up the hospitals, leaving poor citizens with crummy care. Of course the immigrants increase the supply of desperate unskilled labor thus pushing down wages.

But unskilled american citizens know this and are against immigration.

But upscale liberal gay people push hard for immigration without thinking of the consequences.
The below article shows what happened after the liberal types in Sweden allowed in immigrants with different values and cultural norms - the immigrants decided to murder the gay swedes.

A few days ago, a 26-year-old gay man was killed by two Muslim youths in his apartment in Malmö. In and by itself, this is not remarkable — violence against homosexual people perpetrated by Muslims is no new phenomenon in Sweden, even if it’s very hard to find MSM reports on the subject. Last year’s Stockholm Pride Parade, for instance, saw a stabbing to death of a gay man, an event that got very significant exposure in the media before it was established that the perpetrators were Muslims — at which point the story disappeared from the newspapers.

But as en exercise in how Swedes who want to know what happens in their country have to read between the lines these days, this story delivers. Let’s begin by examining this initial report from the daily Kvällsposten.

And now for the translation from Kvällsposten:

The youngest murder suspect admits to violence

Two teenagers are suspected of the murder at Kapellgatan in Malmö. The motive might be a hate crime. One of the boys has been known for his extreme views on moral issues. On Thursday, the younger suspect confessed

[Jorge Romero-Habeych]

"Jorge, it is only 700 miles of fencing to make the Border Patrols job easier and a physical barrier is a deterrant although won't stop illegal immigration completely. It has already been shown to cut back illegal immigration in the San Diego area by 80%. So your arguments against it are moot.

By the way, e-verify is like 99.6% accurate. That is very little room for error and the errors can be cleared up before an employee is unjustly fired. So what it boils down to is you have no viable arguments against the fence or e-verify."

The fence invites a host of other issues, one being property rights. I am not aware of the statistics as it pertains to the San Diego fence, i would be interested in the source of the data.

Lets say E-verify is 99.6% accurate, would you like to be one of the hundreds of thousands that will make up the margin of error?

ask someone in the no-fly list, who was accidentally placed there, if they didn't mind being part of the margin of error? Last I heard there were 1,000,000 people on the list.

Politicians will try and take the credit for the reduction in border crossings. The will want you to write them a big blank check so that they can protect you from the problem they created. Any progress made in the area of immigration will come due to changes in the Economic incentives these people face.

A wall most likely discourages some from crossing but how can you be sure when the Economic incentives are being taken away at the same time. Cause and effect.

Most Americans are fine with sacrificing liberty for perceived security, I am not. I would hate to be the property owner who has his land taken away because uncle sam wants to put a fence on it. I would hate to be the one who ends up being part of that .004% margin of error.
I think a wall and the E-verify system would discourage some illegal immigrants but is that worth the violation of some American's rights?
I agree wholeheartedly with Dr. Borjas, I was only trying to point out why I have some reservations about the E-verify system.