Thread by @NiskanenCenter

THREAD: In the absence of Congressional action on immigration reform, administrations have taken charge. The result? Unpredictable policies that disrupt businesses and families.

It’s time for Congress to step in. Here are 15 reforms to prioritize. niskanencenter.org/redefining-imm…

This is not a comprehensive plan for immigration reform; it’s a shortlist of the ideas that will most obviously benefit Americans.

Nativist sentiment permeates American politics right now. It's important to demonstrate how immigration reform can serve the national interest.

We’ve carefully selected a range of academics, scholars, entrepreneurs, lawmakers, lawyers, advocates, and immigrant contributors from a broad range of ideological spectrums to weigh in.

Without further ado, here are the reforms they believe could best serve our citizens.

Let’s start with the economy. @mananm and @MariaSalamancaM say that the #H1B system needs to support creating, not outsourcing, jobs.

“When 12 of the top 15 H-1B visa filers are services...who pay lower than market rate wages, the H-1B’s purpose is in jeopardy.”

The tech industry has also changed substantially. As such,we need regular reviews (every 5 years) of the tech landscape to make sure that high-skilled immigrants are truly irreplaceable, not just cheap labor competing with U.S. workers.

.@adambcox/ Alessandra Casella note that untethering the right to work from a specific employer will not only protect foreign workers from potential abuse but also keep labor markets competitive. This will ensure that #H1B visas are not being used to undercut domestic workers.

According to @lfreiff, we can improve the #EB5 immigrant investor program to fuel U.S. job growth and provide valuable new capital to shore up our infrastructure, real estate, and manufacturing sectors.

Between FY 14-15, EB-5 Regional Center Program resulted in $10.98 billion invested throughout the U.S. economy, more than 355,000 jobs created for U.S. workers, and that $55 billion added to U.S. economic output during that time.

Legislative reform to #eb5 would allow immigrant investors to support expanded job creation and investment in traditional real estate development, manufacturing projects, and public-private partnerships focused on U.S. infrastructure projects.

.@doug_rand and Lindsay at @LK_Miliken discuss how the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has set off a high-stakes global power competition with major national security and economic implications.

Many nations are racing to lead in the AI race, adding $13 trillion to global economic output by 2030–but talent is the scarcest resource here.

The worldwide AI talent pool includes just over 200,000 individuals.

And the U.S. is pushing the talent away.

Canada, the UK, and others are adapting their immigration systems to make it easier for AI experts to work, study, and stay permanently. The U.S. is putting up new barriers, as discussed by @SarahPierceEsq and @jessicabolter of @MigrationPolicy. migrationpolicy.org/research/us-im…

Aside from removing the inexplicable restrictions on high-skilled workers, Congress can best ensure American #AI predominance by allowing U.S. employers to sponsor global talent for permanent residency (“green cards”) across all science and technology fields.

Immigration can also provide a targeted solution for America’s demographic struggles. @ModeledBehavior notes that in many regions across the U.S. the population is in decline, the most educated are leaving, and the workforce is aging rapidly. eig.org/heartland-visa

Heartland Visas would be a temporary work visa for skilled immigrants to work in a location undergoing demographic decline. The visa permits an immigrant to only work in a specific labor market for a designated amount of time.

Regions would have to choose to participate in this program, and immigrants would choose which location they wish to live.

For many immigrants, numerous employers within a single labor market would be better than the status quo that restricts them to 1 employer.

At the end of the temporary period, Heartland Visa holders would be allowed to apply for unrestricted green cards and live wherever they want within the U.S.

The U.S. needs a separate program just for health care workers. @gsiskind points out that America needs foreign doctors to fill growing shortages, provide culturally sensitive care to a diverse population, and work in underserved areas, especially in rural parts of the country.

#COVID19 has highlighted the persistent–and growing–shortage of physicians in the U.S. It’s time to make it easier for the best and the brightest to practice in regions experiencing shortages, as long as they are compatible with our requirements. niskanencenter.org/let-foreign-ph…

Now let’s turn our attention to strengthening U.S. foreign policy.

Protecting foreign nationals who work with the U.S. government abroad is critical to our work in executing our foreign policy and national security goals and supporting American personnel overseas.

Between 2006 and 2009, Congress created three special immigrant visa (SIV) programs for Iraqis and Afghans who risked their lives to assist the United States military and government agencies. But we have fallen short on our promises, as @IRAP’s @bettylfisher notes.

In 2015, @MLaCorte_ wrote, SIV is a bureaucratic mess; restrictions and backlogs have stranded former U.S. allies overseas, where they and their families are targeted for harm–even though they were promised visas as part of their recruitment. niskanencenter.org/the-immigratio…

SIV programs should be permanent and allot visas annually. The current program is only authorized for 5 years. Congress must intervene on an ad hoc basis to protect the program, and visa shortages have imposed delays to individuals living in danger.

.@eliseblchrd, @JohnKerry, and @rhersher, and many others have all documented how America has failed to meet the promises made to allies who have risked their lives for us.

This is a national disgrace.

latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/…

newsdeeply.com/refugees/artic…

Another issue on many Americans’ minds is how to support the rights of Hong Kongers as they face continued encroachments by the Chinese government.

.@RepJohnCurtis led a bipartisan coalition to introduce the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act, which would designate the people of Hong Kong as Priority 2 refugees, streamline their admission process to the U.S., and open an asylum route for frontline activists in immediate danger.

The Hong Kong Safe Harbor act would be a way for the U.S. to signal to the world that we will always stand on the side of freedom and liberty. It would also be an opportunity to welcome those who have risked so much for the values we espouse. niskanencenter.org/let-hongkonger…