Immigration Myths,

History & the Current

Situation
Alex Nowrasteh
@AlexNowrasteh
Cato Institute
 History Founding
Documents
He [King George III] has endeavoured to
prevent the population of these States; for
that purpose obstructing the Laws for
Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass
others to encourage their migrations hither,
and raising the conditions of new
Appropriations of Lands.
Declaration of Independence.
To establish an uniform Rule of
Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the
subject of Bankruptcies throughout the
United States;
 Naturalization Act of
1790
Eligible persons had to reside here
for two years.
Have a good moral character (non-
criminal),
Free white person.
No restrictions on the movement or
residency of immigrants in the
United States.
Concerned with limiting
naturalization
 14th Amendment Fixing
Citizenship
Allows freed slaves and Asians to
become citizens. The latter started
many court battles.
SCOTUS in
United States v. Wong Kim Ark
(1898) ruled that all children of
immigrants have birthright
citizenship.
Prior to fixing citizenship,
immigration laws were becoming
Immigration Restrictions
1875 Page Act. Undesirables,
convicts, prostitutes, sick.
1882 Chinese Exclusion Act.
1885 Alien Contract Labor Act.
1907 Gentlemans Agreements.
1917 Literacy Act.
1921 Emergency Quotas Act.
1924 National Origins Act.
 National Origins Act
Restricted immigrants from Southern
& Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Alliance between labor unions,
Progressives, eugenicists, and
nationalists.
Based on country of origin because
ban based on race or ethnicity would
be too complex to administer.
Henry Pratt-Fairchild.
Liberalizations and
Restrictions
1996 Illegal
Liberalizations Restrictions
Immigration Reform
and Immigrant
1942 Bracero Visa. Responsibility Act.
1948 Displaced Persons 2008 Employer
Act. Sanctions Act,
1952 Immigration Act. Arizona.
1965 Immigration Act. 2010 SB1070,
1986 Immigration Arizona.
Reform and Control Act. Georgia, South
1990 Immigration Act. Carolina, Alabama,
numerous other
states.
Guest Workers: Bracero
Program
1953-1954: 1.8 million removals.
Border Patrol drove migrants to the
border or spot-legalized them.
They were back working in hours legally.
Legal pathway destroys incentive for
illegal immigration.
Number of unauthorized immigrants
dropped by over 90% under Bracero
guest worker visa.
Bracero ended in 1965, followed by
increase in unauthorized immigration.
 Guest Worker Visas and
2,000,000
Expelled
1,800,000

1,600,000

1,400,000

1,200,000

1,000,000

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

Years

Removals Guest Workers

 Trump Administration
Platform of enforcement & restricting
legal immigration.
Executive orders:
Border & interior enforcement.
Temporary ban, reduction in refugee
program.
Future executive orders:
Restricting work visas like the H-1B and
J-1.
Cutting of public services to immigrants.
 Wall
Secure Fence Act of 2006.
Congress has authorized
construction, needs to appropriate
funds.
Cost is $6.5 million per mile.
$1 million per mile, per year to
maintain.
Diverts illegal immigrants to remote
terrain.
Ineffective at halting unlawful
 Secure Communities
2008-2014, reactivated in 2017 by
Trump.
Successful at identifying arrested
unlawful immigrants.
Local arrests run through federal
databases, detainers issued.
California Trust Act.
Zero effect on local crime.
Supporters and detractors.
Refugees & Country Ban
Seven countries identified in U.S. law.
17 foreigners from these countries
have been convicted of attempting
or carrying out terror attack on U.S.
soil.
0 people killed in terror attacks on
U.S. soil committed by nationals from
these countries.
Immigration and
Terrorism
 Terrorism Points to
Consider
The risk could increase going
forward.
New countries may be added to the
banned list, time on the list may be
extended.
Beware the term terrorism-related.
Terrorism-related offenses and
terrorism-related organization are not
defined in U.S. law.
Sen. Sessions (R-AL) identified 580 post-
 Crime
Incarceration rates:
U.S. born: 3.51%
Foreign born: .86%
Non-Hispanic whites: 1.71%
Blacks: 11.6%
Over last 10 years, average native 4
to 5 times more crime prone than
immigrant.
2nd generation Hispanic
incarceration rates above average,
fall to national average by 3rd
generation.
Cities with more immigrants &
second generation are less crime
Debunking the Myth of Immigrant Criminality: Imprisonment Among First and Second Generation Young Men. July, 2006. MPI
 Place Premium
Country Wages in U.S.
Mexico 3x
Guatemala 3x
India 6x
Vietnam 6x
Haiti 10x
Median: 4x
Economics Relative
Wages
 Why Didnt Wages Fall?
Immigrants tend to be more highly skilled
or less skilled than U.S.-born workers
Little competition.
Nannies & restaurants.
Language: Communication vs. Brawn.
Immigrants are complementary.
Capital markets keep pace with
population
Entrepreneurship.
Immigrants twice as entrepreneurial, create
jobs.
Aggregate Demand.
$2 trillion in purchasing power and real-estate.
 Welfare
Unauthorized immigrants ineligible. Legal
immigrants ineligible for first 5 years.
Exception: Emergency medical care, some states.
Poor immigrants less likely to use TANF,
Medicaid/CHIP, SNAP, and SSI than poor natives.
Average dollar value lower than for natives.
Entitlements:
Immigrants: +$13.8 billion into Medicare Part A.
Native-born Americans: -$30.9 billion.
American welfare state designed to help sick, elderly,
women. Most immigrants are healthy, young, male.
Build a wall around the welfare state instead of
around the country.
Rule of Law
1.Predictable outcomes.
2.Equal application.
3.Consistent with traditions of
liberty.
Orange jumpsuit or mandatory death
age.
. Immigration laws are neither
predictable, applied equally, nor
consistent with our traditions.
 Conclusion
American immigration history is long,
complicated, and full of mythology.
The administrations current policies
are based on numerous justifications.
Economic.
Criminal.
National security.
Facts over moral or ethical outrage.
 Immigrants Expelled vs.
BP Agents
1,200,000 1,700

1,600
1,000,000

1,500
800,000

1,400
600,000
All Aliens Expelled 1,300 Border Patrol Agents

400,000
1,200

200,000
1,100

0 1,000

All Aliens Expelled Border Patrol Agents