U.S. Census records show that immigrants account for a relatively small 14% of the U.S. population, yet as a whole they have been some of the most important contributors to the nation’s development. The idea of America as a land of opportunity has attracted millions from around the world, each bringing with them new traditions and skills that have helped shape the nation’s identity. Starting with the first settlers in the 1600s then the influx of European immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and then to more recent arrivals from Latin America, Asia, and Africa, immigration has been central to America’s cultural and social foundation.

To many, the concept of “American exceptionalism” is tied to the country’s ability to welcome people from all over the world, offering a promise of freedom, upward mobility, and the pursuit of a better life. Early immigrants helped build the nation’s economy taking lower paying jobs in industries such as construction, agriculture and manufacturing. These sectors were essential in shaping the infrastructure and economy of the United States. Over time, many of these immigrants experienced upward economic mobility with one-quarter of entrepreneurs in the nation being foreign born, contributing to the country’s overall growth and prosperity.

Despite this, immigrants have often been among the most mistreated groups in the nation and to this day, many see them as a threat. This is not a recent phenomenon, The Nationality Act of 1790 declared that only “free white persons” could be citizens and 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts were used to deport those the government deemed as untrustworthy.

As immigration from European nations such as Ireland, Germany or Italy along with Asian nations like China or Japan ramped up in the 1800s, those who were of British descent strongly opposed them, believing they would taint the nation. This culminated in the Chinese Exclusion Act which severely limited immigration from China, and reflected a broader trend towards restrictiveness and isolation in the nation. Just a few months later, for the first time in American history, the 1882 Immigration Act declared that immigration was a national concern and limited who could enter the country and codified who was “undesirable.”

The 20th century wouldn’t be much better and the World Wars would make life for many immigrants worse. Anti-German sentiment would rise during both wars, and German-Americans were used as scapegoats, with many references to their culture being erased. Japanese-Americans had it just as poorly during the Second, if not worse, many were forced into internment camps where they were stripped of their rights and treated like the enemy. In fact, over 120,000 Japanese-Americans were forced into War Relocation Authority (WRA) camps under FDR’s Executive Order 9066, many of whom had lived in the U.S. since birth. Many of those affected were U.S. citizens, and the policy is now widely regarded as a violation of civil liberties and a stain on our history.

In modern times, immigration has been one of the most divisive and complicated issues in politics. More conservative groups such as the Center for Immigration Studies and media sources such as Fox News and the New York Post have a stronger focus on crime, fiscal costs, and border security. This is contradicted by the majority of publicly available information, including a 2024 Department of Justice study on Texan arrest records and an ITEP tax analysis from the same year that show that both legal immigrants and undocumented peoples are less likely to commit crimes than native-born citizens and contribute more in taxes than they consume in services.

With that said, there are concerns from conservatives over cultural fragmentation and national security. Rapid changes in demographics have the possibility to strain community resources, especially in schools and public services, and even more so when integration resources are underfunded or worse, poorly or corruptly managed. To this end, border security and vetting processes also matter, as any sovereign nation has the right and responsibility to know who is entering its borders. Ignoring these concerns entirely would risk undermining public trust and the long-term sustainability of future policy.

But, acknowledging these challenges does not mean immigration itself is the root problem. Many of these issues have been due to outdated systems, and a lack of investment in integration policies including, but not limited to, language education, workforce training, support services and legal pathways to citizenship. If we manage our immigration systems thoughtfully and most importantly, humanely, it can strengthen social cohesion and allow immigrants to fully participate in civic and economic life. The real question we face is not whether America should be accepting immigrants, but how we can do so in a way that aligns with our values and long-term interests.

Immigration has also become another part of broader political conflicts surrounding globalization and economic and national identity. As industries change with new technologies (especially A.I.) and wages stagnate across the nation, immigrants are being blamed for problems rooted in governmental failures and harmful corporate practices. Restricting immigration isn’t inherently evil, but if we don’t address these systemic issues, blaming immigrants becomes a convenient but rather ineffective “solution” that can end up harming the economy.

Immigrants play a vital role in the economy and serve as net contributors in multiple ways. They expand the labor force, raise overall output, and generate tax revenue. Most economists agree that “immigration, on balance, is a net positive for the U.S. economy,” boosting growth and productivity. From 2000 to 2022 aprrox. 75% of U.S. labor-force growth (ages 25 to 54) came from foreign-born workers, allowing industries to expand even as the U.S. birthrate stagnated. In fact, without immigrants the prime-age workforce would have seen nearly zero growth in the past quarter-century.

By adding workers, immigrants increase both supply and demand in the economy, and restricting immigration only slows this growth. Certain sectors are especially reliant on immigrant labor. For example, roughly 70% of U.S. farm workers are foreign-born, many of whom are on H‑2A visas or are undocumented. Immigrants regardless of legality, for the most part, pay sales, property, Social Security and Medicare taxes, often without receiving the full benefits, which while unfair is a discussion for another time.

Together, these factors mean immigrants can both fill labor gaps but generate tremendous economic growth. They consume goods and services, start businesses, invent new technologies, and expand the productive capacity of the economy. Without this, America’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would grow far slower and prices would likely rise faster.

Politically, policy choices and political narrative can significantly affect immigrants’ well-being and economic outcomes. Current American immigration policy which has been significantly affected by the viewpoints of the Trump administration and Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement which have focused on stricter enforcement including mass deportations, mass denaturalization, hiring freezes and harsher entry limits. This is most clearly seen in Executive Orders 14159, 14160 and 14287 dealing with illegal immigration, birthright citizenship and sanctuary cities respectively, which as a whole are poorly aimed at much stricter regulations on immigration and trying to hasten the speed at which ICE can deport people.

Such approaches may resonate with voters who are concerned with job competition and maintaining what they see as “existing cultural values”, but they also carry significant economic trade-offs that can cause long term harm. While immigration is not a zero-sum game and border security is a concern to many, policies that expand legal pathways and integration opportunities could enable immigrants to contribute more fully to the economy. The gap between available economic evidence and current policy decisions is wide, and it will affect long-term growth and economic stability.

A National Foundation for American Policy analysis found that current immigration policies conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may lower U.S. GDP growth by nearly one-third through 2035 and reduce cumulative output by trillions of dollars over the next decade, as fewer immigrant workers participate in the economy and slower workforce growth dampens productivity. These reductions impact industries that depend heavily on immigrant labor.

America’s political stance on immigration also affects our position abroad, with both our allies and foes. Despite growing conservative movements, other advanced economies including Canada, Australia and the majority of EU nations have been, mostly, welcoming to immigrants to sustain growth and innovation. With our restrictive system, the U.S. may find itself behind our allies in the competition for talent and innovation in a technological age. Even nations with lower immigration such as China are, technologically, not far behind ourselves, and if we want to maintain our scientific edge, we must not defund education and immigration systems.

This restrictive system on immigration also has severe effects not just on who is allowed to enter the United States, but on the everyday lives and well-being of immigrant families already here. Heightened enforcement and deportations have created widespread fear and uncertainty within immigrant communities, leading many to avoid work, school, and even healthcare for fear of detention or deportation, even if they are legal.

Studies focused on specific sectors reflect these macroeconomic risks at a local level. For example, intensified ICE raids in California’s agricultural regions, where a substantial portion of the labor force is immigrant, are projected to cut the agricultural workforce by 20 to 40%, resulting in billions of dollars in crop losses and higher produce prices. Enforcement actions disrupt immigrant workers’ livelihoods along with broader supply chains and consumer costs.

Looking beyond the economy, many of those being targeted aren’t a threat to the broader population. One of the major arguments of the administration, that immigrants are violent or criminals is simply wrong. DOJ records show that only 2.6% or 14 out of 614 people targeted by ICE’s Operation Midway Blitz, focused on detaining people in the Chicago area, had criminal histories. Despite what the current administration is saying, they are not solely targeting violent people, they are instead going after families, students, workers and parents.

And while social media may make the situation look very one-sided, the majority of Americans view many of the Trump administration’s immigration tactics, such as suspending asylum applications and increasing workplace raids, as harmful or excessive. Public attitudes toward deportations and enforcement are increasingly critical, especially due to broader concerns about economic costs and humanitarian impacts as we’ve seen over the past months.

Those being detained by ICE are not being treated humanely. Across the country previously hidden reports from the DHS’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties have shown that those being held in ICE detention centres are not being given basic sanitary or medical care. Basic wound care, feminine hygiene products, and necessary medications are not being provided. Regardless of political views, human rights should be placed first and foremost.

While there is no single solution, there is broad agreement that the U.S. immigration system requires reform. Every generation has had its version of the “immigrant” threat. The Irish would destroy Protestant values and the nation as a whole. The Chinese would steal American jobs with their evil eastern values. The Japanese couldn’t be trusted lest there be another Pearl Harbour. The Italians, the Germans, the Jews, the Mexicans, it’s all one in the same. Despite this commonality, every generation has eventually been proven wrong. With the historical and contemporary context, it’s safe to say that America has and always will run on immigration.