The Washington Post, September 25, 2016: (Opinion) The Wrong Immigration Debate

“We need an immigration system that gives priority to skilled over unskilled workers, rather than today’s policy that favors family preferences for green cards. This sort of system would promote assimilation (because skilled workers have an easier time integrating into the workforce and society), increase economic growth (because skilled workers have higher ‘value added’ than unskilled labor) and reduce poverty (because many unskilled immigrants have incomes below the government’s poverty line). Although we can’t easily quantify these benefits, they would promote the greater good for an aging society with a sputtering economy. Anyone who doubts immigration’s pervasive influence should examine a massive report issued last week by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. It’s titled ‘The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration.’ Here are some highlights.”