A beloved member of my family is a naturalized citizen. She is a health care professional. Luckily for us, she won the diversity lottery.
Had she wanted to emigrate to the U.S. by applying for a green card, paying a fee, going through a vetting process and waiting in line, she (and we) would be out of luck.
Immigration is a net plus for the U.S.; in fact, it is essential. According to a March 14 New York Times article, the U.S birthrate has dropped to its lowest rate in history. If the U.S. wants to have a robust workforce and a strong economy, the U.S. must have young workers. Only an updated immigration system can fill the labor gap. The U.S. needs to create a system with expanded eligibility, allowing applicants to wait in line.
Hard working, tax-paying, law-abiding immigrants are the people our country needs. These are the people we should be celebrating. Spending billions of our tax dollars to detain and deport these individuals is an unforced error. It is the exact opposite of the common sense immigration policies that our country needs.
Linda Dumey
Wells
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