The best way to reform America’s immigration

At the center of the US immigration debate is a complex web of issues, with the need to manage the influx of immigrants crossing the southern border without prior authorization. Close behind is the question of what to do with the nearly ten million undocumented immigrants who have come to live in the United States, with the vast majority now here for over a decade.

International Obligations and Refugee Protection

Core international obligations regarding refugees also play a critical role in shaping the discourse. The United States, as a signatory in 1967 Protocol in the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, is bound by various obligations, such as:

1. Non-Reposting: Prohibiting the return of refugees to countries where they would face persecution or harm because of their race, religion, nationality, political beliefs or membership in a particular social group.
2. Access to asylum procedures: Ensuring a fair and accessible process for people to seek asylum and submit their claims for protection.
3. Non-discrimination: Prevent discrimination against refugees based on factors such as nationality or place of entry.

These international commitments underscore the U.S. commitment to offer protection to those fleeing persecution and violence, regardless of their point of entry. While the landscape of immigration policies and practices continues to evolve, debate continues about the extent of these obligations.

Different propositions and confrontations

In the busy corridors of Washington, where countless problems in need of solutions cry out for lawmakers’ attention, the challenge is to capture the attention of enough lawmakers long enough to tackle specific issues. Immigration reform, a high-profile issue, has struggled to gain traction amid a myriad of pressing national concerns about for years now.

Trump’s controversial proposals

Various solutions have been proposed to address these challenges, ranging from extreme measures such as completely open borders to the use of lethal force against unauthorized border crossers. A notable proposal was recently proposed by former President Donald Trump regarding the possible mass arrests, detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants and similar border measures should he return to power in 2024.

Concerns and answers

In response to Trump’s proposal in particular, Ben Johnson, Executive Director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), warned “of a return to a dark age of internment camps, ideological purity tests and mass deportations that would harm American families. our economy and values”. Johnson decried Trump’s “potential attack on the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and the creation of a permanent underclass of noncitizens.” Instead, Johnson called for a return to “sane and humane leadership.”

Balanced Approaches to Immigration Reform

Compared to such controversial proposals, other immigration advocates have presented more nuanced and measured approaches to immigration reform. These include:

1. Strengthening border security: This includes increasing the presence of border patrols, physical barriers and advanced surveillance technology to deter and detect unauthorized border crossings.
2. Comprehensive immigration reforms: These reforms provide a legal path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, improve visa processes, and simultaneously strengthen border security measures.
3. Seeking bilateral cooperation: Strengthening partnerships with Mexico and Central American countries to address the root causes of migration and regulate migration flows through regional solutions.
4. Humanitarian focus: Shifting focus to providing humanitarian assistance, such as shelter, legal assistance and health care, to migrants, particularly asylum seekers, while ensuring humane treatment at borders alongside ongoing border security efforts.
5. Creating better legal avenues: For temporary labor migration and skilled labor, while addressing US labor demand, thereby reducing incentives for illegal border crossings.

There are other problems that need attention. Among them are repairing the H1B program, addressing the plight of Dreamers, expanding the scope of humanitarian policy beyond refugee decisions, matching would-be immigrants with American sponsors ready to support them, and addressing of the global displacement crisis. nowhere to go. There are still others.

A collective effort for reform

Amid these complexities, the imperative remains clear: immigration reform requires an approach that combines security measures with humanitarian values. This leaves us with the challenge of making a collective effort and the need for all stakeholders to work together, compromise and focus on achieving meaningful change in existing immigration law. In short, national leaders must prioritize bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform and give it enough focus, time, and effort to achieve it. There is simply no other way.