April, 2002 (Volume 1, Issue 1)
American Immigration Law Foundation
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Below is the executive summary for this publication.
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Summary
In the wake of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, America has responded with resolve, determination, and a greater commitment to freedom. Yet there are those who would use these events to propose that, in the name of national security, America close itself off from the rest of the world. Their proposals range from quadrupling the number of border agents to stopping any new immigration to the United States. While it is painfully obvious that modernizing the U.S. immigration system is critical, “Fortress America” is an incomplete response to the threat of terrorism because it fails to recognize that immigration is not the problem, terrorism is.
Additionally, as the U.S. economy regains its footing, perhaps the greatest threat to American prosperity would be to disrupt the delicate balance of the flow of people and goods across borders that has recently generated the longest period of sustained economic growth in U.S. history.
Immigration is inextricably part of the American national identity and always has been. Immigrants are an integral part of the structural fiber that has kept the great melting pot flowing with creative ingenuity. The immigrants of times long past laid the framework for this great nation with their blood, sweat and tears. They were the backbone of numerous seminal American accomplishments: the Transcontinental Railroad, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Erie Canal to name a few. And while these immigrants of the “past” are viewed with respect and gratitude, modern day immigrants are often looked upon much less positively. However, a review of the many contributions that immigrants continue to make to our nation shows that today’s newcomers are just as critical an ingredient to America’s success as they ever were.
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