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Grace Hwang

Professor Jan Babcock

ENGL 138T

15 March 2024

Fairness in Freedom: Recommendations in Immigration Policy

According to estimates by the US Census Bureau, the immigrant population has reached

record high of over 46 million people from 2022-2023 (Rose). Although this brought in diversity

and culture, it has also raised concerns from US citizens, such as the impact of immigration on

the economy and the justness of the immigration process. In general, the concept of fairness

seems to be the overarching theme that connects discussions surrounding the topic and should be

the guiding principle towards future policy.

Financial Fairness

A point often mentioned is the economic impact of mass immigration on the US

economy. More than 30 of 168 million jobs are held by foreign-born workers, 30% of which are

within the education, healthcare, and construction sectors (USAFacts Team).

Despite representing a significant part of the workforce, opponents of current

immigration policy argue that the high number of migrants is not fair to citizens, citing that

increased competition in the job market would exacerbate the growing unemployment crisis

(Cox). However, it must also be said that immigrants also face the same conditions as their

American counterparts, in addition to the challenges of often being paid less for more work

(Bohn and Schiff). This brings into question whether it is immigration policy which lets in

migrants that is unfair to Americans or current economics.

As a result, it is recommended to lawmakers that changes in immigration be carefully

considered. Reducing the number of immigrants entering would most likely stagnate the US
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economy as well as lead to shortages in understaffed fields, such as education, which could

further damage strained sectors (Rosewicz and Maciag). It would be wise to investigate the

causes of rising unemployment and remediate it with affordable education to develop skills that

the unemployed can use to find new professions. Taking this initial step would serve as a litmus

to see if immigration is negatively impacting the job market and is unfair to citizens or if it is an

independent problem. This would prevent a loss of valuable potential migrant workers as well as

act as a definitive answer on whether immigration policy must become stricter.

Fair Immigration for All

Another major topic often brought up under immigration discussion is fairness in the

process of immigrating. Under the current system, approximately one million immigrants arrive

annually, a quarter of which entered the US illegally (Ward and Batalova). As a result, many

people, including other immigrants, feel that these illegal residents have cheated the arduous,

expensive system. However, these accusations are not applicable to everyone.

For many work-permitting visas, it can take between 10 months (for those who married

American citizens) to 5 years on average to be approved (Bier). It can also cost hundreds of

dollars per 3 to 10 forms that must be submitted and filed to the U.S. Citizenship and

Immigration Services office and the visa is not guaranteed (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration

Services). With these high barriers, it is understandable that allowing unauthorized entrants

invalidates the struggles and sacrifices of legal residents. It is also clear that the current system

forces some to enter through dubious means, especially if they lack the capital, resources, or time

due to previous circumstances.

However, it is possible to validate these feelings while also making the process fair for all

potential immigrants. To discourage illegal crossing, policymakers should vote to fund more

security measures along the southern and northern borders, such as increased fence usage and
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stationed border patrol. At the same time, changing the application process for visas to become

more accessible, by lowering administrative fees for example, would allow all hopeful entrants

to enter through legal channels. If done effectively, tightening border security and streamlining

the visa process would quell accusations and sentiments of unfairness while enabling most

potential immigrants to enter through legal means.

Concluding Considerations

In both concerns observed through the value of fairness, there are many different factors

and discrepancies that must be considered when involving immigration. Is it fair to blame a lax

immigration system when it may be extraneous situations influencing the economy? Is it just to

have undocumented immigrants gain the ire from their fellow migrants and risk danger because

they were unable to legally navigate the visa system? These questions must be further examined

if the contentious issue of immigration policy is to be solved.

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Works Cited

Bier, David J. “Immigration Wait Times from Quotas Have Doubled: Green Card Backlogs Are

Long, Growing, and Inequitable.” Cato Institute, Cato Institute, 18 June 2019,

www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/immigration-wait-times-quotas-have-

doubled-green-card-backlogs-are-long. Accessed 15 Mar. 2024.

Bohn, Sarah, and Eric Schiff. “Immigrants and the Labor Market.” Public Policy Institute of

California, Public Policy Institute of California, Mar. 2011,

www.ppic.org/publication/immigrants-and-the-labor-market/. Accessed 15 Mar. 2024.

Cox, Jeff. “U.S. Job Growth Totaled 275,000 in February but Unemployment Rate Rises to

3.9%.” CNBC, 8 Mar. 2024, www.cnbc.com/2024/03/08/jobs-report-february-2024-us-

job-growth-totaled-275000.html. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024.

Rose, Joel. “The Immigrant Population in the U.S. Is Climbing Again, Setting a Record Last

Year.” NPR, National Public Radio, 14 Sept. 2023,

www.npr.org/2023/09/14/1199417599/immigrant-population-us-foreign-born-census-

bureau. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024.

Rosewicz, Barb, and Mike Maciag. “Nearly All States Suffer Declines in Education Jobs.”

Pew.org, The Pew Charitable Trusts, 10 Nov. 2020, www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-

and-analysis/articles/2020/11/10/nearly-all-states-suffer-declines-in-education-jobs.

Accessed 15 Mar. 2024.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services. “All Forms | USCIS.” Www.uscis.gov, US Citizenship

and Immigration Services, www.uscis.gov/forms/all-forms. Accessed 15 Mar. 2024.

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USAFacts Team. “How Many Immigrants Are in the American Workforce?” USAFacts, 14 Nov.

2023, usafacts.org/articles/how-many-immigrants-are-in-the-american-workforce/.

Accessed 14 Mar. 2024.

---. “Which US Industries Employ the Most Immigrant Workers?” USAFacts, USAFacts, 10

Nov. 2023, usafacts.org/articles/which-industries-employ-the-most-immigrant-workers/.

Accessed 14 Mar. 2024.

Ward, Nicole, and Jeanne Batalova. “Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and

Immigration in the United States.” Migration Policy Institute, 17 Mar. 2022,

www.migrationpolicy.org/article/frequently-requested-statistics-immigrants-and-

immigration-united-states . Accessed 14 Mar. 2024.