Hiding In Plain Sight

To the Editor:

Economists warn us that social safety nets like Social Security and Medicare could be in peril because of a shrinking tax base due to an increasingly aging population and a declining pool of young workers, as reported in various articles such as Christopher Rugaber in USA TODAY, 07/05/2021, and authors Brancaccio, Farrell, and Shin in Marketplace Morning Report, 05/19/2021. And now we have a crisis on our southern border as thousands of immigrants, refugees and their families, desperate to come to America, fleeing from danger and deprivation, seeking opportunities and safety, overwhelm border security resources and personnel.

So, I wonder, if for both humane and economic justifications, we should allow entry to a large number of these poor folks. satisfying our need to increase the pool of taxable young workers while demonstrating America’s tradition of humanity. We could vet them (no admission to bad people), green card them, train and educate them, give them social security accounts, and finally tax-paying employment? Of course, a national non-partisan commitment and the allocation of substantial resources would be required to achieve these goals.

No, I am not talking about open borders. A country must maintain secure borders for the protection of its citizens. America must have a fair and efficient immigration policy that not only secures our borders, but also provides for the lawful immigration that economists say is necessary for a healthy economy, given the increasing ratio of aging nonworkers to tax-paying young workers.

Unfortunately, both Democrats and Republicans at the national level have failed the American people in the great need to protect our borders with efficient and humane immigration reform. There is plenty of blame to go around. Economists unequivocally argue for the economic benefits of lawful immigration policy that will provide the economic benefit of increasing a tax-paying pool of workers.And most Americans want immigrants and refugees to be treated humanely. Most of the unfortunates on the southern border are trying to escape horrible and dangerous situations back home. Perhaps the crisis on the southern border offers an opportunity. Perhaps there are answers hiding in plain sight.