Barackface: Immigration: The Edge That Made America Great

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Immigration: The Edge That Made America Great

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The Last Age of War, The First Age of Peace: Lord Kalki, Prophecies, and the Path to Global Redemption

Immigration: The Edge That Made America Great

America is often called a nation of immigrants, and not without reason. No other country in modern history has been shaped so powerfully, consistently, and positively by immigration as the United States. From its founding, waves of people from around the world—fleeing persecution, poverty, war, and seeking opportunity—have come to its shores and helped build its economy, its culture, and its global influence.

A History of Open Arms—At Least for Some

Historically, immigration from Europe was strikingly easy. For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, if you were European, all you had to do was show up. You were often granted papers at arrival. Ellis Island was more processing station than barrier. The rules were far looser, and the economic logic was clear: America needed workers. And it got them—by the millions.

That labor built railroads, dug mines, manned factories, and raised cities. Immigration didn’t just help America grow; it powered that growth.

Immigration Is an Economic Superpower

The American economy is the largest in the world not in spite of immigration, but because of it. Immigrants have filled labor shortages, fueled innovation, created companies, and contributed at every level of society. Japan, with its famously tight immigration policies, is a cautionary tale: an aging, shrinking population and a stagnant economy. America, meanwhile, remains dynamic precisely because it renews itself through immigration.

Yet today, the debate has been poisoned by fear, misinformation, and political rhetoric. Calls for mass deportations defy economic, logistical, and even legal reality. California’s farm valley, for example, cannot function without undocumented laborers. Mass deportation would collapse industries overnight. The economy would suffer. And due process is already proving a legal obstacle to large-scale removals.

The Humanity in Reform

Most who walk across the southern border just want to work. And most want to return home after earning. A common-sense response isn’t cruelty—it’s a five-year work visa. Keep people documented, out of the shadows, and contributing legally. Doing so also improves public safety. Data consistently shows immigrants—especially undocumented ones—commit crimes at lower rates than native-born citizens. The reason is simple: they want to avoid attention, not cause trouble.

This isn’t about letting people “get away” with breaking the law. Not all laws are equal. We don’t jail people for speeding. And many immigration violations are civil, not criminal. The question isn’t just about legality—it’s about humanity, economic logic, and national interest.

A Win-Win Future

Automatic green cards upon graduation for international students are another obvious win. The U.S. trains some of the brightest minds in the world—then sends them home to compete against it. Letting them stay benefits America’s innovation economy and strengthens ties to other nations. Immigrants send money home, invest in their communities, and become lifelong goodwill ambassadors for America.

Yes, Europe’s immigration levels may not be politically feasible today. But a middle ground is. Because there is no such thing as an illegal human being. And the assault on immigration is, in many ways, an assault on America’s greatest economic edge.

The humane response is the smart response. Let’s get people out of the shadows. Let’s choose common sense. Let’s choose compassion. Let’s choose to keep America strong.

Trump’s Trade War
Peace For Taiwan Is Possible
The Last Age of War, The First Age of Peace: Lord Kalki, Prophecies, and the Path to Global Redemption