Immigration. Which Way Ought We To Go From Here?

Editorial by Marilyn Hempel

Immigration. Few issues are more divisive in the United States. The very word makes many people angry, and can often stop civil conversation completely. I should know; I live near Los Angeles, one of the "ground zeros" of immigration.

Last night as we sat down to dinner, my normally mild-mannered and unflappable husband asked what I was working on, and I said, "U.S. immigration issues." He proceeded to tell me, rather hotly, that the U.S. could accept large numbers of immigrants-it is the wealthy "natives" (people born here) who are doing the real environmental damage. I replied, even more hotly, that I was certainly aware of the over-consumptive behavior of Americans-even middle-class Americans-which is one very important reason why the planet cannot afford to have more of us. I pointed out a well documented fact that almost all immigrants, as soon as they are able, become American-style consumers. Therefore the numbers of people who come here matter a great deal. He accused me of being xenophobic. We ended up shouting, and spoiled a perfectly good meal.

The next day I had an appointment at a beauty parlor-full of woman talking. I was laughingly told that they were solving the country's problems, so I asked, "What would you do about immigration?" Everyone had an opinion, and, remarkably, there was some consensus. They agreed with each other that the U.S. must secure its borders and that all people crossing borders should have a passport. They also agreed that it is too crowded here already; there is too much traffic, too much smog, and our schools are suffering. And they agreed that illegal aliens are just that-illegal.

The immigration policy debate reminds me of this passage from Alice in Wonderland. If a nation doesn't know what it wants, it will get the mish-mash of laws, rules and regulations that constitutes U.S. immigration policy today. After hours of research, I have come to the conclusion that very few people (if any) know what all the laws and regulations are, much less how they are interpreted and enforced. I have no doubt that the U.S. needs serious and comprehensive immigration reform.

What is sadly missing from the whole reform conversation is the question: How large a population does the United States want ? This is the KEY question. Until we can answer the question, we won't know which way to go, what policies to create. And we should not expect politicians to make this decision for us. In a democratic country, we the people, should lead.

That is why we are starting this edition of the Pop!ulation Press with an excellent chart, "Fertility-Migration Balances at Various Population Levels" created by John Bermingham. It shows what we will have to do to achieve population stabilization. Examine it carefully. Think creatively as you ponder policy options.

Answering the question, "How Many Americans?" is one of the most important steps we can take. It will determine the quality of life of our grandchildren and their children, and the very future of our republic.