Deputy Director’s Corner
- Tracy Henke
- October 22, 2015
- NPG
- 0 Comments
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Deputy Director’s Corner
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On October 15th, immigration expert Dr. Peggy Sands Orchowski released an Op-Ed piece titled “Having to Choose: A Nation’s Agonizing Immigration Duty.” The thoughtful, well-written piece begins: “It’s a universally acknowledged truth that no nation can sustain open borders. Even the wealthiest, most popular ‘nations of immigrants’ like the U.S. cannot possibly accept everyone who wants to immigrate here or even qualifies to do so. The article highlights an often-ignored fact regarding immigration policy: “Nations have the core right and duty to choose who can immigrate: come in, stay, work and become a citizen. They do it through immigration laws established and enforced by democratic representative governments.” Yet today in the U.S., we are seeing an ever-increasing trend of accommodation when it comes to immigration policy. Dr. Sands Orchowski explains the origin of this trend can be found within the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) – “the most liberal immigration law in the world,” and one of the most population-increasing pieces of legislation in U.S. history. She notes: “Instead of basing admission on the individual migrant’s ability to work, as had been the case since the earliest days of the nation… the INA gave a priority for green cards to extended family members. ‘Family unification‘ …is still the top qualification for a green card today.” Beyond family preference, Dr. Sands Orchowski highlights a subtle change in the oversight of U.S. immigration law – a shift that perhaps explains the culture of acquiescence we are seeing in the U.S. today. She notes: “Significantly, the Congressional jurisdiction for immigration also changed from the [Labor] Committee to the Judiciary Committee.” |
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“Immigration suddenly took on the tenor of social justice and even a sacred civil right – which it isn’t, of course. Now millions of people feel qualified to immigrate to the United States.” |
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Dr. Sands Orchowski’s conclusion again echoes NPG, when she finds: “Obviously massive permanent immigration is not a solution. It is unreasonable to expect nation states to do it and unfair to call them ‘anti-immigrant’ when they won’t. Another process other than massive immigration will have to be negotiated to help citizens of failing states find refuge, peace and prosperity.” NPG has long warned of the link between family preference and today’s mass legal immigration levels. (At the end of this month we will release our newly revised NPG Forum paper, All in the Family: Preferences for Relatives Drive U.S. Immigration and Population Growth.) We have also stood firm that present White House policies of accommodation – up to and including de facto amnesty for illegal aliens – will only serve to encourage millions more immigrants to ignore our laws and settle here unlawfully… at the expense of America’s environment, economy, natural resources, and quality of life! With so much at stake, NPG’s critical mission is more important than ever! We’re gearing up for a strong finish to 2015 – another round of NPG Teacher’s Packets is already underway, and we expect our materials to reach a record number of middle and high school students this year! In the months ahead, we’re sending out thousands of new national petitions calling for the end of America’s Chain Migration and Sanctuary City policies. We’re putting out new advertisements in major national publications, reaching millions of Americans from coast to coast with our critical message. We’re also talking with several new organizations who share our goals – expanding our network of allies across the nation, and even the world! Since 1972, our success has relied upon the support of members like you. We appreciate your loyal dedication to NPG. Together, we’re working for a livable future! Thank you again for all you do! |
Tracy Henke served as Deputy Director of NPG from 2012 to 2017, contributing to the structure and development of NPG’s publications programs. Acting as NPG’s principal editor and a contributing author – as well as a regular contact for the public and media, Tracy extensively researched U.S. population issues and worked to establish significant grassroots support for the NPG mission. She holds a degree in Leadership & Social Change from Virginia Tech, with a professional background in non-profit and program management.
