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Dec 12, 2019 24 tweets 6 min read Read on X
We’ve developed 17 normative principles that will guide our immigration policy recommendations in 2020. Here they are. <THREAD> niskanencenter.org/principles-of-…
1). Effective enforcement of immigration law must take into account the incentives that drive undocumented immigration.
(Since the ability to work is one of the main incentives, increasing work visas and creating a reliable system that allows employers to confirm legal eligibility should be a priority.)
2). Federal immigration enforcement should prioritize people charged with serious crimes and those who have recently committed an immigration violation. Image
3). Border security and interior enforcement should be cost-effective, utilize cutting-edge technology, and be minimally invasive to commerce, legal immigration, and civil liberties. Get the “why” from our State of the Border Report: niskanencenter.org/wp-content/upl… Image
4). There should be a path to earned legal status for undocumented immigrants without a serious criminal record who have lived in the U.S. for more than 10 years, and who were brought to the U.S. as children.
5). We must have an admission policy that targets immigrants who can facilitate productivity-associated growth.
6). Admissions policies should seek to capitalize on the labor supply and skills immigrants can contribute to the American economic engine in order to increase U.S. output.
As @tiger_speak demonstrates, the U.S. health care system is just one area facing talent shortages: niskanencenter.org/foreign-doctor…
@tiger_speak 7). Admissions policies should provide humanitarian relief. We have a tradition of offering refuge to those escaping war, oppression, and persecution, and we’ve committed ourselves to that tradition via domestic law and international obligations.
Take our refugee program: Presidents, including Ronald Reagan, supported resettlement for humanitarian/natl security reasons. By admitting refugees and asylum seekers from enemy regimes, the U.S. was allowing people to “vote with their feet” in favor of living in the West.
8). The United States should remain a place of opportunity for those who want to build a better life for themselves and their families.
9). Our immigration system should be family-friendly and treat immediate families as the fundamental units of immigration.
(A family-friendly system might offer protections to children of immigrants who can age out of our present system, or to spouses who are currently denied the rights of their primary immigrant partners in some cases). #H4 #H4EAB #HB1
niskanencenter.org/dhs-h4/
10). Immigration policy should be nimble and responsive to global trends.
11). The rights of Americans and migrants turn on reliable due process. Denying citizens due process not only threatens their inherent rights, it also threatens America’s commitment to the rule of law.
12). Immigration petitions must be adjudicated predictably and in a timely manner.
13). Some guest workers should regularly have the right to naturalize. A temporary guest worker program that is parallel to a program that allows for eventual naturalization is one way to accomplish this.
14). The immigration system should facilitate and encourage integration.
15). Immigration should be a net fiscal benefit to the United States. We’re not playing a zero-sum game. See this analysis of #Refugee contributions by @NatImmForum immigrationforum.org/article/immigr…
16). American world leadership must cooperate with allies and partners to address global challenges like immigration.
17). The immigration system can and should be a win-win for workers, businesses, and immigrants alike.
We firmly believe that the U.S. immigration system is capable of adhering to these principles with smart advocacy and the right reforms, despite its current state. Stay tuned for specific policy proposals for 2020.
We look forward to partnering with other organizations and individuals who share this vision in the coming year. (Special thanks to @kdpindc, @JeremyLNeufeld, and @MLaCorte_ for solidifying these principles). niskanencenter.org/principles-of-…

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More from @NiskanenCenter

May 9
New apartment buildings in U.S. all look really similar to each other.

One reason: U.S. regulations dictate an oddly-specific layout that's hostile to families and limits light/ventilation.

THREAD:
Image
Image
In most U.S. cities, building code requires multiple exit stairways accessible from each apartment for buildings over 3 stories tall.

It's all done in the name of fire safety. But the restrictions don't really advance fire safety.
Enter the double-loaded corridor layout.

Long, windowless corridors slice through the middle of deep floor plates.

Non-corner units only have windows on one side, opposite the entry door—favoring studios and one-bedroom layouts. Image
Read 8 tweets
Feb 20
.@heritage publishes regular iterations of its “Mandate for Leadership” with an agenda for the next Republican administration. The prior Trump admin implemented nearly 64% of its recommendations in its 1st year.

Here’s what’s in the 2025 edition: niskanencenter.org/project-2025-u…
First, the Mandate would effectively close many avenues of legal immigration by:
❌Halting H2 visa programs
❌Closing the H-1B visa program to most recent grads
❌Leveraging entire visa categories as collateral in foreign policy negotiations
It would sabotage U.S. humanitarian relief by:
❌Repealing all TPS designations, stripping almost 700,000 of legal protection + work authorization.
❌Forbidding use of DHS staff time on DACA, Uniting for Ukraine, etc.
❌Prohibiting refugee vetting, ending refugee resettlement.
Read 14 tweets
Apr 6, 2023
NEW PAPER: Manufactured housing is an affordable option in rural areas where land prices are low. They even promise to ease the housing crunch in coastal cities where land prices are high!

But, as always, housing discrimination is getting in the way. niskanencenter.org/manufactured-h…
To clarify, we’re not talking about vacation trailers, or 1970’s-era mobile homes. Modern manufactured homes have strict standards for structural integrity and safety. They often look like homes built on-site, but they were assembled in a factory, like a car or an airplane.
Benefits of manufactured homes include: (1) They’re safer and more efficient to make, their materials don’t have to be exposed to the elements until the house is fully assembled, and (3) they can help improve quality of housing while driving costs down.
Read 12 tweets
Apr 4, 2023
Critics of Welcome Corps (the new U.S. private refugee sponsorship program) have been complaining loudly that it's vulnerable to fraud.

We’ve looked into 3 of the main concerns and have found that all but one are completely unsubstantiated. 1/ niskanencenter.org/is-there-any-t…
CONCERN 1: “The vetting process for refugees is being expedited and is therefore less thorough.”

FACT: Privately sponsored applicants must still go through the same USRAP pipeline as everyone else and have often been waiting years to travel. 2/
CONCERN 2: “The quality of protections meant to ensure sponsors are well-vetted aren’t good enough.”

FACT: Extensive safeguards have been built into the private sponsor group application process to screen for potential bad actors. 3/ Image
Read 6 tweets
Feb 28, 2023
THREAD: Why do housing supply restrictions persist? Conventional wisdom says it's because incumbents are defending their property values.

The reality is way more complicated. That's an opportunity for YIMBYs.

Introducing our agenda for abundant housing: niskanencenter.org/an-agenda-for-… Image
Before we enact any reform, we have to understand the political economy of our system: whom it empowers, whom it enriches, etc.

Answering these questions will rally opinion shapers around reform, protect reforms against backlash, and help avoid unintended consequences.
Here's how the conventional wisdom explains the political economy of housing: single-family homes and large lot sizes restrict the availability of housing to buyers who will pay at least as much in local taxes as they consume in public services, such as schools.
Read 13 tweets
Feb 24, 2023
THREAD: The cost of building public transit is out of control. We can do something about that:

Stop relying on outside consultants to do the work of government agencies. slate.com/business/2023/…
In the name of cutting costs, we’ve hollowed out government agencies, asking full-time employees to handle impossible tasks.

The result? Chaos. And lots of wasted taxpayer dollars. (After all, government contractors arguably cost even more money).
.@alon_levy produced a report for us outlining some solutions:

(1) The federal government should require that state/local transportation agencies demonstrate they already have the capacity to oversee big infrastructure projects before releasing funds. niskanencenter.org/report-so-you-…
Read 9 tweets

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