America Wants Legal Immigrants | 5 Minute Video
Virtually everyone knows America has a big illegal immigration problem. But we also have a legal immigration problem: Current U.S. immigration policy is not serving the best interests of America. Is there a way to protect American citizens and still welcome newcomers to our shores? Reihan Salam offers an insightful solution.
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Script:
I am the proud son of immigrants from Bangladesh. I was raised in New York City, which has benefited enormously from the energy and ambition of the millions of people born abroad who’ve chosen to make it their home. But I also believe that America’s immigration system needs to work for America, and right now, that is simply not the case.
We need a new immigration system. So what should it be? We’re often presented with two stark choices: Severe restrictions or open borders. I think there’s a better way.
But before I offer a solution, let’s look at the usual suspects. The case for open borders is, on the surface, pretty attractive. Tens of millions of people around the world would be grateful to come to America for the chance to live in peace and earn a decent living. The vast majority of them mean us no harm. Why not give them a chance to share in the blessings of liberty?
The simple answer is that our country is more than just a marketplace. We’re a democracy based on a social contract. Americans pay taxes so that, among other things, the poorest, most unlucky among us can still lead decent and dignified lives.
If you can’t work, you might be eligible for unemployment benefits or disability. If you do work but your paycheck doesn’t go far enough for you to afford medical care or food for your kids, we have a safety net designed to help you stay afloat.
Liberals and conservatives disagree on how extensive this safety net ought to be, but they all agree it needs to be there. The question is, how we far are willing to stretch it?
A century ago, immigrants who found they couldn’t make it in America had little choice but to go back home. That is no longer the case. These days, immigrants who can’t earn enough to support their families have access to many government benefits. That doesn’t make them bad people. In an age of offshoring and automation, wages for menial jobs don’t go very far. If we only admitted a modest number of low-skill immigrants—say, as political refugees—we could easily handle it. But over the past forty years, we have allowed millions of low-skill immigrants into the country, both legally and illegally. While highly-educated immigrants pay far more in
taxes than they consume in benefits, the opposite is true of immigrants with less than a high school diploma
Immigrant engineers working for Google, Amazon and Apple do just fine without government help. The immigrant janitors and busboys who serve them struggle to afford housing and to give their kids a decent start in life. Without government aid, many would go hungry. If we were to open our borders, the number of low-skilled immigrants would skyrocket, and so too would the cost of meeting their needs. Ironically, this would only exacerbate the wealth disparity that so animates the open borders crowd.
Maybe the rich could wall themselves off in gated communities. But the growing ranks of the poor and even the middle class would have to deal with ever more strained social services. That could provoke resentment strong enough to set off real class warfare.
If open borders are a bad idea, so too is severely restricting immigration. For one, immigration has always been part of the American story. And it continues to be an essential source of talent, from Silicon Valley to medicine to pro sports. Why shut ourselves off from the dynamism and energy that immigrants can bring?
Thankfully, there is a way to fix this problem.
For the complete script, visit https://www.prageru.com/videos/america-wants-legal-immigrants
source
Now it's almost five years since the video was made, and this issue is even worse…
The only thing they can say abt open borders is
1. America is a nation if laws, so why not change them.
2. Immigrants use more in taxes, they dont and except for public schools, police and fire fighters are barred from using public services while most pay taxes like income property and sales.
3. Immigrants use social services like i said they dont but also america has a worse social safety net then other countrys.
There is no reason not to open our borders wide open.
I think it is wrong to say that we don't want low skill immigration. Actually most developed countries rely on low skill labor. In my country Slovenia, almost all construction workers are immigrants. Same for cleaning ladie etc. I have never been to America but I'm sure it's the same. Except the immigrants are probably mainly Mexican or souther, rather then southern balkan countries like where I live. My point is we need the low skill labor as well. Furthermore investing into poor people is a much better investment than rich people.
A study has shown that giving one dollar to a workin class household will return 1.30 dollars while to an upper middle class only 0.30 dollars.
We also can’t export all the illegals so we have to do something about them. What’s best May be a little immoral but it’s best for everyone. We allow them to work, don’t let them vote, and let them stay. Then we do a mandated e-verify to disincentivize more illegals from coming in.
Is this guy still the EXECUTIVE EDITOR of the National Review? [After viewing this lost and confused video, really, I do not care to check; as this video confirms that I have no use for this publication.] This guy shows that he has neither understanding NOR appreciation of our two national charter documents: our Declaration of Independence and our Federal Constitution. Good GOD almighty, PragerU … what are you thinking?
I’m sorry, but that does not fit in with the democratic socialist ideal. They did not enact a communist coup for nothing! They want to import as many poor people as they possibly can so they can justify damning the rich and stealing their money. Then they can use those poor people as an excuse to stuff ballot boxes. It’s a win-win for Democrats and a lose lose for America.
Selective immigration is the key
4:26 one issue with the current system is that there are limited opportunities for people who might have some intention to permanently settle in the US but don't want to do so right away. The "immigrant intent" rule that limits admissibility of aliens not on immigrant visas is excessive, where the concern should be more focused on whether the alien is likely to overstay their visa. Many people who would like to immigrate to the US have no desire to do so unlawfully. In the case of spouses and some immediate relatives of US citizens (for whom there is no quota), this restriction is very silly. Another issue is that filing fees are just too expensive. Other countries seem to do ok with much lower fees. In some cases more public funds are used to fund visa processing,
As an American descended from the founding stock, no, we really don't want any more legal immigrants. If anything, we only want immigrants who fit the description as stated in the original Naturalization Act of 1790.
This guy is smart af
We want American country!!!!!!
If by “america” you mean israel, then yeah.
I get so aggravate seeing illegal immigrants busting down the boarder to get in. Then to see my government give my healthcare away that I can't afford anymore. That I've been paying into the system my whole 50 + working years. It's not right. Instead of all these liberals bashing America they should hold it up as great and focus their efforts on why millions are leaving their country. Fix the problem not the cure
Don’t listen to PragerU. They’re just trying to come up with as many excuses as possible to demonize immigrants, especially those who are undocumented or unskilled.
Vaccines may work but with the first variant delta showing up in India how did it get into the United States. Our current government is working with the chinese allowing the variants to enter the country via the southern border. So we will have to purchase more vaccines from the drug companies and china has finally found a way to Kill the US economy by keeping us out of work.
Biden and Harris and the rest of the Socialist Democrats are allowing this crap to happen. Biden says its people spreading false information about covid but biden is allowing countless infected into the US at the southern border to re-infect people in the US.
Wait, you mean a representative democracy? (Constitutional republic) Make sure you understand what you are saying before you put it into video form. A democracy without a representative is mob rule.
do yall racist white people in the comments realize that your ancestors were also immigrants???
We want no immigrants
LOL Prager U shilling for mass "Legal" immigration (all immigration becomes "legal" after amnesty). If you still don't realize that the GOP as currently constituted is part of the Globalist scam, I would suggest doing some research. Fast
No, we really don’t want ANY immigration. We want repatriation and deportation. We don’t want the USA, a country founded and built by White people, to become a non-White country, whether by illegal OR legal immigration.
Nobody wants this. Stop peddling this garbage. You are not on Americans side.
One thing people don’t seem to realize is that America can’t sustain all the immigrants from third world countries. We’ve got to do what we can to help those third world countries improve themselves so that so many people won’t have to come here.
This channel victim blames