Old Promises and New Blood...

That is the title of a report produced in November of 2008 by the Reform Institute in Washington, DC. Past Directors of the Reform Institute include former New Hampshire Congressman Charlie Bass.

The report points out that the impending retirement of the baby boom generation will present enormous challenges to the United States economy and push entitlement programs such as social security and Medicare to their limits and beyond. As approximately 78 million Americans begin to exit the workforce over the next two decades, how can we as a nation continue to grow the economy? Retirees tend to reign in their spending and many move from their long-time residences to smaller retirement homes or even assisted living facilities -- what can support the market for family housing (which even now is just beginning to recover from the bursting of the housing bubble) in the years to come?

The report explains that immigration has to be part of the answer. The United States population is getting older. This is particularly true here in New England which has the highest median aged population in the country. Immigrants tend to be younger people and to have more children than longer established American families. If we as a country do not encourage immigration, we face the prospect of having only a little more than two workers supporting every retiree. Social security and Medicare cannot function properly under that kind of stress. If we are going to find rational solutions to the demographic and economic challenges ahead -- we as a country have to get over our fear of people from elsewhere moving here. If we cannot find a way to welcome and assimilate a new generation of immigrants into this country, our standard of living is likely to suffer.

To read the report (requires Adobe Reader): http://www.reforminstitute.org/uploads/publications/Old_Promises_New_Blood_Final_11-21-08.pdf

ICE Enforcement Strategy

Immigration Customs and Enforcement has set forth its strategy for enforcement of employer sanctions.

http://www.aila.org/content/default.aspx?docid=28771

Immigration Reform and Improved Economy

The Wall Street Journal links immigration reform with an improvement in the econonmy.

http://immigrationimpact.com/2009/04/28/immigration-reform-as-stimulus-to-us-economy/

Comprehensive Immigration Reform

All signs point toward comprehensive immigration reform and it may be sooner than we think.

http://immigrationimpact.com/2009/04/30/immigration-reform-100-days-obama-schumer-dhs/ See also: http://immigrationimpact.com/2009/04/29/immigration-reform-obama-100-days/

ICE

On April 30, 2009, Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) announced a new strategy for enforcement of employer sanctions. For details see the ICE release at:

http://www.aila.org/content/default.aspx?docid=28757

E-Verify

Funding for the controversial E-Verify program will end in September 2009. Because of the reliability issues, many businesses want the program to remain voluntary. Advocates for stricter immigration want mandatory participation. To understand the history or E-Verify and the issues involved see this article from the Migration Policy Institute.

http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?id=726

IMMIGRATION REFORM MAY SAVE YOUR JOB.

A recent op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal notes that Immigration Reform might be just the medicine that the economy needs to get back on its feet. Immigrants have always been a driving force for the American economy. Here in New Hampshire, immigrants came by the thousands to work in the mills producing textiles and many other goods during the Industrial Revolution. Immigrants built the railroads that connected this country and opened up the west. Immigrants have worked on our skyscrapers and in our shipyards as well as in our fields and orchards; contributing to every aspect of what makes America great. As the article points out, immigrants have also been largely responsible for the innovation of the United States economy, holding many patents and creating many of today's best known American high-tech firms.

There are many ways that immigration reform can help revive our economy. When Asian and South Asian engineering students come to the United States to earn their degrees (which they do in far larger numbers than U.S. citizens) shouldn't we try to employ them here so they can buy houses and goods and services here rather than send them home to create tech companies that compete with our firms? If you want an economic shot in the arm...how many millions of immigrants that currently have no legal status do you suppose would be willing to pay a hefty fine for violating the immigration laws if they could gain legal residency and remain in their jobs and with their family without fear? Those same millions of immigrants who currently are part of the underground economy could then become taxpayers and could have the security, the legal status, and the credit to buy a home and perhaps a even a new car.

The time for trying to find someone to blame for the bad economy is over; now is the time to find pragmatic solutions for getting the country working again. Immigration reform is one of those solutions; hard working and entrepreneurial immigrants have always been one of this country's great economic advantages -- and should be in the future.

To see the article click here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124078847516857485.html