SUSTAINABLE IMMIGRATION: LEARNING TO SAY NO

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SUSTAINABLE IMMIGRATION: LEARNING TO SAY NO
An NPG Forum Paper
by David E. Simcox
March 1990

This is the fifth of a series of NPG FORUM papers exploring the idea of optimum population. As the United States’ population continues to grow, NPG believes it essential to the national well-being that debate be initiated on the question: What is the optimum population, and how can it be achieved? This paper addresses one aspect of that second question, immigration.

Mr. Simcox is currently Director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington DC think tank that examines the effects of immigration on the broad social, economic, demographic, and environmental interests of U.S. society. During a 29-year career in the Department of State, he specialized in labor and migration issues in Latin America.

February 1990 was a dismayingly typical month in the uncertain course of American immigration policymaking, demonstrating the varied and intense pressures that are steadily working to drive up overall immigration. Here are just a few:

• Early in February Immigration Commissioner Gene McNary announced he was using his executive authority to grant what amounts to limited permanent resident status to illegal aliens who are spouses and minor children of legalized aliens, but who arrived too late to qualify for the 1986 amnesty. By the stroke of the pen, McNary added an estimated 800,000 to 1.5 million persons to the permanent legally resident population.

• Congressman Bruce Morrison, Chairman of the House of Representatives Immigration Subcommittee in February introduced his legal immigration reform bill that would boost the flow of newcomers in the 1990’s to about 1.5 million a year—almost twice the current number. Morrison’s bill also provides for the admission of some 250,000 temporary resident workers and their families, most of whom would ultimately become permanent residents.

….Continue reading the full Forum paper by clicking here.

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David Simcox

David Simcox is a former NPG Senior Advisor. From 1985 to 1992 he was executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. From 1956 to 1985, Simcox was a career diplomat of the U.S. Department of State, with service in diplomatic posts in Latin America, Africa, Europe, and in Washington. His diplomatic assignments involved formulation of policy for labor, population and migration issues in such countries as Mexico, Panama, Dominican Republic, Brazil and the nations of Indo-China. Simcox is a frequent contributor on population, immigration and Latin American matters to national newspapers and periodicals and has testified on several occasions before congressional committees on immigration, labor and identification policies. He holds degrees from the University of Kentucky, American University and the National War College. Simcox is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and saw service in the Korean conflict. If you are affiliated with the media and would like to schedule an interview with David, please contact us at 703-370-9510.