Alex Nowrasteh and Bryan Caplan: The Case for More Immigration

Immigration experts Alex Nowrasteh and Bryan Caplan make the case for significantly more and easier immigration to the U.S.

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Alex Nowrasteh and Bryan Caplan: The Case for More Immigration

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One of the very first things that Donald Trump did after being sworn in as president was to make good on promises to reduce both legal and illegal immigration. He even issued an executive order ending birthright citizenship, a right guaranteed by the Constitution's 14th Amendment. That order has already been blocked by a federal judge, and its fate may well end up being decided by the Supreme Court. But calls for less immigration are super popular, with 55 percent of Americans saying current levels should be decreased, the highest since 2001. Reason's Nick Gillespie disagrees with that—he believes that immigration is a good thing and that we should have more of it, done in an orderly, peaceful, efficient fashion.

So on January 21, the day after Trump's inauguration, Gillespie asked George Mason University economist Bryan Caplan and Cato Institute analyst Alex Nowrasteh to make the libertarian case for more immigration at a live event in New York City. They've written extensively on the topic and answer every question and concern you might have about immigration. The goal here is to steel-man critics of immigration and explain why more newcomers are good for our culture, economy, and country.

To get information about Reason's events in New York City, including The Soho Forum Debates, sign up for our NYC Events newsletter.

1:55—Trump's "Day 1" promises and actions
6:13—Was there a migrant "invasion"?
7:35—What does "open borders" mean?
11:03—What's the real story of chaos on the border?
22:06—The case for more immigration
24:30—Immigrant welfare use
31:11—H-1B visa debate
38:11—The Laken Riley Act and immigrant crime
42:00—Cultural arguments for more immigration
45:47—Assimilation in America
52:29—How many immigrants could the U.S. take in?
53:53—The most worrisome anti-immigration policies proposed

• Video Editor: Ian Keyser

Comments

[MasterThief]

The new soviet man or near slavery? The arguments for mass immigration on a replacement level scale tend to view people in those terms. Otherwise it's a cynical power game relying on a "demographics are destiny" approach.

[I, Woodchipper]

Opinion dismissed

[Jerry B.]

I would think that 1.2 million legal immigrants a year would be quite enough.

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (Trump Ascendant!! )]

It could be 5 million and it isn’t enough for these people. Especially nutters like Fiona, or JeffSarc.

[John Rohan]

Agreed, especially considering that number is the highest of any country in the world.

And that's only the number of LEGAL immigrants. It doesn't count illegal immigrants or asylum seekers, both of which are technically outside the immigration system.

[JFree]

We have a big problem with our legal immigration system. It is mostly family based. Because it takes decades to be approved, those immigrants are significantly older than even the native population and definitely older than illegals. Like averaging in their early 50's. So even if they aren't eligible for SS/Medicare - they ain't going to be productive in the workforce for long either.

The permanent resident and work visa system is also broken and cronyist. Reason and open borders advocates NEVER say shit about fixing the legal system. Because they WANT a broken system - as do their billionaire donors. So all they spew is shit.

The illegals/unauthorized system is also broken - by definition. But at least the demographics - mostly people in their 20's - is beneficial and in line with what worked in US history.

This entire issue has become noncredible shit with clowns over here and jokers over there. But worse.

[MWAocdoc]

Quite enough for what? Based on what goal? Based on what criteria? It's clear you've had enough of immigrants. It's clear you don't like immigrants and the more immigrants there are the more likely you are to come in contact with one and you don't like the prospect! Thanks for not even bothering to pretend that there is a non-bigoted reason for your xenophobia. It's becoming quite exhausting for people of good will to constantly have to out the falsehoods of the xenophobes pretending that immigrants are somehow harming America.

[Don't look at me!]

Alex Nowrasteh and Bryan Caplan make the case for significantly more and easier immigration to the U.S.

Just as long as they stay out of their neighborhoods.

[Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)]

As soon as millions of Guatemalans flood American universities working under the table as university professors and policy analysts we will see their opinions morph.

[Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)]

"Immigration experts Alex Nowrasteh and Bryan Caplan make the case for significantly more and easier immigration to the U.S."

"Immigration Experts" have the same sort of credentials as Disinformation Experts.

[JesseAz (mean girl ambassador)]

Well they can't just say immigration propagandists.

[MWAocdoc]

Immigration experts are people who know approximately ten to a hundred times what you know about immigration. Their credentials consist of how complete and accurate their research-based facts are. Yours, obviously, are near zero.

[JesseAz (mean girl ambassador)]

CATO, didn't listen.

If they have an actual argument that isn't just hand waiving away the externalities and costs or pretending there is no cost, will listen. But CATO has been utterly dishonest on the issue.

[sarcasmic]

Says the guy who handwaves away the benefits of immigration or just pretends the benefits don't exist. Do you ever tire of accusing people of doing what you are doing while you are doing it?

[Don't look at me!]

Food trucks are the foundation of a booming economy!

[JesseAz (mean girl ambassador)]

Speaking of other idiots who handwaive away all actual information and refuse logical argument construction, sarc entered the chat lol.

Refuses to acknowledge the system he proposes already exists in the refugee program and it is chock full of costs and fraud.

Still waiting for him to show me where the 3M jobs that magically appear for the illegals are. But he once saw a help wanted sign, so it proves they exist.

[sarcasmic]

As always there isn't a single truthful statement in your comment.

By the way, I strongly advise that you do to not listen to this interview. If you do then you might learn a thing or two about history and economics. Can't have that.

[Don't look at me!]

Poor sarc. Out of ideas™ .

[InsaneTrollLogic (On The List!)]

Is there no debate fallacy you won’t do, Sarc? You dismiss Jesse out of hand with an ad hominem attack. Then you appeal to the “experts” who put together this opinion piece (of shit, IMHO).

[JesseAz (mean girl ambassador)]

He is incapable of independent thought. Just a narrative pusher.

Confirmation bias
Appeal to authority
Ad hominem

All just to push a narrative blindly and without thought.

I've criticized cato and their studies enough to known their common tactics.

[Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)]

Sarc is a consummate liar and yet he has the balls to pretend Jesse is the one spinning tales.

[JesseAz (mean girl ambassador)]

Lol. Why i began boommarking his shit years ago. He will lie in the very same thread about what he said. It is amazing.

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (Trump Ascendant!! )]

Everything he said is the truth. So stop lying, and apologize to Jesse.

[Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)]

"Says the guy who handwaves away the benefits of immigration"

Says the guy who deliberately conflates immigration with illegal entry and phony asylum claims.

[Mickey Rat]

The horse has died. Please, stop beating it.

[Nobartium]

Cultural arguments for more immigration

There are no cultural arguments for increasing immigration. There are only self-loathing ones.

[Uncle Jay]

Then send all the illegals, especially those who were let out of some jail in a third world hell hole to Alex Nowrasteh's and Bryan Caplan's house.
Let these two clueless wonders house, feed, and clothe them.
If not, then STFU.

[Winston in Wonderland]

Why don't we just enforce the laws we have, first?

Until we do that, I really have no interest in letting more "immigrants" into the country.

[VULGAR MADMAN]

Reason: “Who will pick our cotton?”

[Ronsch]

Our population is declining, and we are in very serious danger of experiencing an inverted age distribution. Without enough immigration, we will have a very small population of young people to support a very large retired, non-working population. This is already happening in Japan. Immigration can solve this problem.

[docduracoat]

yes
Immigration of Boer farmers and Ukrainians would benefit America by bringing in hard working, tax paying, law abiding people who share our cultural values.

Bringing in millions of poor people and criminals does not help save social security

[With Trump in, "now Lord you can let your servant go in peace"]

IT exacerbates the problem.
a poor non-English speaking immigrant is a burden on social services and is not contributing taxes. Plus it lowers the wages of existing folks working under the legal and tax climate of the US.

Had Biden and Harris not bypassed the law this might have worked. You are arguing about what our system can and can't do but MILLIONS don't know our system. They don't even pass the CIvics tests. Which right now ADDS to a horrible situation

2 of 3 Americans Wouldn’t Pass U.S. Citizenship Test
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2018-10-12/2-of-3-americans-wouldnt-pass-us-citizenship-test

You are what you are and I am a teacher.

[Memry]

I propose doing the exact opposite of what Bryan and Alex want on immigration but then we’ll use keyhole solutions to take care of any issues they have with the policy. Everybody’s happy.

[Vesicant]

Oh, well, if "experts" Alex Nowrastehe and Bryan Caplan say so, who are we peasants to complain about the demolition of our country?

[With Trump in, "now Lord you can let your servant go in peace"]

You are both wrong and the Dutch economist whose book is due for release any time now in the US will show how wrong you are.

You make 3 HUGE mistakes.
1) Immigation as the soporific masking a disastrous birth decline can only be bad. Because by the time we try to reverse -- if we do in fact --- it will be too late by at least 20 years.
2) WIth the school decline already in force it can only be worse and more expensive to bring loads of non-English-speaking kids into those classrooms.
3) Until we reverse the housing disaster of Biden-Harris more people vying for American housing who are not Americans is an igniter of social unrest.

[With Trump in, "now Lord you can let your servant go in peace"]

It's attitude. I'm entertained by how the responses here highlight the lack of common sense of these 'demographers' Nothing they said is really being accepted !!!! Funny if you look at it rightly 🙂

[John Rohan]

At about the 3:30 mark Alex Nowrasteh falsely says there hasn't been a terrorist attack by an illegal immigrant in 50 years. There have been MULTIPLE instances of narco-terrorism, too many to count. And several of the 9/11 hijackers were in the country illegally, resulting in the largest terrorist attack in history.

[With Trump in, "now Lord you can let your servant go in peace"]

Very few issues that I am more sure about than this one. And they are not only wrong they are supporting things that will cripple the US.

Wrong both on the positive and negative side. BOTH.
POSITIVE SIDE.
We must do someting about the declining birthrate and immigration is just the aspirin we take so we don't have to go to the doctor for our fatal illness.
Also the cost of an increasing population that has problems with English -- it is a death blow to an already lousy education system
Housing....Get rid of 100 000 immigrants and their housing is on the market. Almost all are renters.

NEGATIVF
Tren de Aragua stands for all the worst coming over the borders.
Drugs are a problem and doing nothing because you can't do a lot is utter lazy foolishness.
Already 2/3 of America can't pass a citizenship test. Surprised we even survive with such ignorance. Muslims who DESPISE Freedom of Religoin strikes at one of history's greatest achievements

[Ama Valde Intellectum]

Of course the root idiocy is to think this is a question for Demographers . I can find a slew of Demographers that greatly disagree. Nicholas Eberstadt comes to mind.

REcently "City Journal (Manhattan INstitute)" took a completely different view
https://www.city-journal.org/article/the-real-questions-of-the-immigration-debate

" In much of the Muslim world, for example, majorities believe that honor killings are justified and that Sharia law ought to be enforced by the state. While many Muslim immigrants embrace Western values, some emphatically reject them, as demonstrated by the widespread pro-Hamas protests that have broken out in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre in Israel. Pluralism is valuable, but it has limits, and America ought to select newcomers who share its core values."

OF COURSE