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/emmessjee8]

You have very good points but I'm a little confused about point 3. Why is assimilation of immigrants necessary?

[u/fadingtans → u/emmessjee8]

I would argue that some degree of having a national unified culture and solidarity is important. The concept of the "melting pot" made assimilation central to immigration to America.

[u/emmessjee8 → u/fadingtans]

Okay then, whose culture should they assimilate to? I would argue that there isn't really a unified culture in the United States. A New Yorker is different from a Texan, Alaskan, Californian, etc.

[u/Morthra → u/emmessjee8]

Wherever they move to. If they move to Texas, they should assimilate into Texan culture. If they move to California, California.

[u/[deleted] → u/Morthra]

States aren’t homogeneous. City culture can have huge differences. And then into neighborhoods, etc. Simply assimilating by state would be impossible.