Op-Ed

A Nation of Immigrants

Op-ed by U.S. Ambassador John Darrell Rood

June 12, 2006

America is proudly a nation of immigrants.  The Statue of Liberty, one of our most iconic symbols, holds aloft her glowing torch as a shining beacon to all those who would seek opportunity on our shores.  Her clarion call, "give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," has been America's credo since before the founding of our nation.  My own grandparents, great grandfather, Charles Peterson immigrated to the United States from Sweden.  Now their great grandson is a U.S. ambassador..

President Bush's May 15 address to the nation highlighted the central role that immigrants have played in shaping our history.  As in years past, we are again engaged in a national debate about immigration.  More than 35 million first-generation immigrants now call America home, which translates to over 12 percent of our total population.  Earlier this month hundreds of thousands of marchers participated in demonstrations in cities around the country -- a stirring reminder of the growing socio-economic importance of the immigrant community and its rising political voice.  

Immigrants are a huge net benefit to the American economy.  They fill jobs in key sectors, start their own businesses, and pay tens of billions of dollars in taxes.  Fully half of all new workers entering the work force during the prolonged economic expansion of the 1990s were foreign-born, filling gaps left by native-born workers in both the high- and low-skill ends of the spectrum.  At a moment when the robustness of our economic growth and the soundness of our social welfare system could be imperiled as the "Baby Boomer" generation begins to retire, immigrants bring a welcome injection of skills, industry and youth to the American economy.

These opportunities are not without challenges, however.  While over two-thirds of all immigrants live and work in the United States legally and are on their way to becoming naturalized citizens, 11 million more either entered or remained in the country illegally.  This large group of illegal immigrants frequently dominates the public's perception of immigrants as a whole -- even though illegal migrants are the minority -- and makes balanced immigration reform politically difficult. 

To respond to these challenges, President Bush has called for comprehensive reform of our current immigration system to better secure our border, improve the enforcement of our laws, meet the needs of our economy, and uphold our highest values.  As he has said: "To keep the promise of America, we must remain a welcoming society and also enforce the laws that make our freedom possible.  As we do, our Nation will draw strength from the diversity of its citizens and unity from their desire to assimilate and become one people." 

The President has proposed a temporary worker program which would expand the legal options open to immigrants and give them a place in the line to citizenship.  He is also increasing the manpower, technology and infrastructure deployed at the nation's borders, integrating and coordinating our border security efforts more than ever before.  Finally, the Administration has doubled the resources devoted to worksite enforcement in the U.S., holding businesses accountable if they violate employment laws, and rooting out the predatory trafficking and fraud rings that hide illegal workers in the shadows.

America has always been a land of opportunity.  Immigrants have played a vital role in strengthening our democracy, building our economy, and enriching our culture.  As President Bush said: "Our new immigrants are just what they've always been -- people willing to risk everything for the dream of freedom.  And America remains what she has always been: the great hope on the horizon, an open door to the future, a blessed and promised land."  Sensible immigration reform will help ensure that America will continue to offer safe and legal opportunities to immigrants to come to American and build their dreams for generations to come.