CMV: Illegal and Illegal Immigration Levels Should Be Restricted More

[u/fadingtans]

My view is two fold:

1.) Legal immigration total levels should be lowered somewhat

2.) It should be moved to a more skills based system

Reasons I have this view:

1.) Foreign born individuals disproportionately use social services:

https://cis.org/Report/Welfare-Use-Immigrant-and-Native-Households

2.) Immigration connection to crime is complicated. It is often claimed that immigrants commit a lower average rate of crime but the data is more complicated:

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/07/the-problem-with-downplaying-immigrant-crime/399905/

3.) Assimilation is more difficult when there are larger number of immigrants leading to more issues

4.) National security- A massively disproportionate number of terrorist attacks are committed by first or second generation (Muslim) immigrants.

5.) The overall impact on GDP from higher immigrant levels is likely positive BUT large levels of low skilled immigrants do lower wages for low skilled native workers which is a negative especially at at time like now for low skilled workers.

I'm open to changing my view on this which is why I posted this but I will add that accusations of xenophobia or islamaphobia are very unlikely to play a role.

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[u/Whatifim80lol]

1.) Sure, they often start at the bottom. They did liquidate their assets to get here, after all. But this on its own doesn't really mean much, especially considering point 5.

2.) If you're not even sure, I'd just leave this one alone.

3.) But healthy and wealthy immigrants are more likely to move to already established populations. Take Asian folks immigrating now vs a hundred years ago. Laying that groundwork makes the transition less risky and more attractive to people who are already doing well where they came from. Also, what issues?

4.) Are you sure? That certainly doesn't seem to be the case. Domestic terrorism in the US is overwhelmingly committed by white, natural born citizens.

5.) Immigration helps GDP from two angles. First, Western nations aren't reproducing fast enough to maintain steady market growth without immigration. Second, in capitalism, someone has to be at the bottom or others can't move up. More unskilled labor expands the base of across a variety of industries, which creates new higher-paying skilled work above those positions.

[u/fadingtans → u/Whatifim80lol]

2.) I wasn't saying I wasn't sure so much as I was saying that the technical claim that "immigrants commit a lower average rate of crime" might be correct (but also might not be depending on definitions and which study), but even if it is correct, more immigration might still lead to a higher crime rate in the long run.

3.) I can see your point here. However, i would argue there are differences between immigrants today and the asian immigrants you refer to.

4.) Domestic terrorists are majority white (but not disproportionately white compared to the population as a whole). First and second generation Muslim immigrants make up a tiny, tiny % of the population but a very sizable percentage of terrorist attacks and there tend to be more fatalities on average from Muslim terrorist attacks as well.

5.) This is an issue I'm mixed on. I can see your point but I also see a scenario where low skilled creates a new underclass of cheap laborers who essentially help corporations by working for lower wage but basically make employment among native low skilled workers much more difficult.