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5 Feb, 4 tweets, 3 min read
America welcomes ~1 million new permanent residents each year.

But our annual green card caps haven't changed since 1990, even as US population grew 30% & real GDP doubled.

How much *should* annual immigration go up?

@NatImmForum has a number: 37%

1/
 immigrationforum.org/article/room-t…
The argument is rooted in demographics: America's "Old Age Dependency Ratio" (# working-age vs. retirement-age adults) is plummeting, which is very bad news for future economic growth, Social Security solvency, etc.

To stay at par (3.5 ratio) by 2060, we need more immigrants.
2/
Specifically, 37% more immigrants—a total of ~1.37M/year.

Consider that Canada & Australia already welcome *200-300%* more immigrants than America does, adjusted for population.

America's immigration policy is among the stingiest in the @OECD.

3/
 boundless.com/blog/canada-au…
I'm grateful to @anoorani & @DaniloZak for providing a rational starting point for conversations about America's "optimal" level of immigration.

The country's not full.

But it's getting older.

census.gov/library/storie…

4/4

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More from @doug_rand

Doug Rand Profile picture
5 Feb
President Biden just signed an executive order on "rebuilding & enhancing" U.S. refugee programs.

Let's pause for a moment, and pray for the return of a day when the following statement of policy is no longer the least bit controversial:

1/
 whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/…
For expert commentary on the impact of this order, see @IRAP @RCUSA_DC @RESCUEorg @HIASrefugees @LIRSorg & many more groups that have done the hard work of protecting refugees during the dark recent times.

I just want to point out some elements for the tech community...

2/
Important call for more efficient collection & sharing of biometric data, along with interviews via teleconferencing—these are tech-driven opportunities to streamline the whole system & put the President's goal of 125,000 annual refugee admissions within reach.

3/
Read 6 tweets
Doug Rand Profile picture
4 Feb
Trump's DHS rushed out a final rule on 1/8/21 to restrict H-1B visas to only the highest-paid workers.

Biden's DHS, today: There's no time to do this by Trump's 3/9 deadline. New deadline is 12/31.

So this year's H-1B lottery will be the usual.

1/
 federalregister.gov/public-inspect…
How does DHS justify delaying the effective date without notice & comment?

"USCIS will not have adequate time to complete system development, thoroughly test the modifications, train staff,
& conduct public outreach needed to ensure an effective & orderly implementation."

2/
Also:

"During the delay, while USCIS works through the issues associated with implementation, DHS leadership will also evaluate [Trump's] January 8th rule & its associated policies, as is typical of agencies at the beginning of a new Administration."

In other words...

3/
Read 5 tweets
Doug Rand Profile picture
20 Jan
🎉First official details of the immigration bill Joe Biden is sending to Congress today, & the name speaks volumes:

The U.S. Citizenship Act

Let's look at 5 pillars:

*Legalization
*Border
*Humanitarian
*Labor protections
*Legal immigration

1/
 buildbackbetter.gov/press-releases…
Long-overdue naturalization & integration of undocumented Americans:

*Dreamers, TPS holders, & farmworkers eligible for green cards immediately

*Others get status immediately, then green cards 5 years later

*After 3 years with such green cards, eligible for US citizenship

2/
"Smart Border Controls":

*Funding for technology & infrastructure to screen for contraband at ports of entry, process more asylum-seekers, & secure southern border

*Accountability & training for Border Patrol

*Extra efforts to stop drug traffickers & human smugglers

3/
Read 12 tweets
Doug Rand Profile picture
19 Jan
Joe Biden will present Congress with an immigration reform bill on his first day in office—Wednesday!—including a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, immediate green cards for DACA & TPS holders, & more...

via @seungminkim:
1/
 washingtonpost.com/politics/biden…
Legal immigration items newly reported:
*Recapturing unused green cards
*Work permits for spouses & children of H-1B workers

Prior promises by candidate Biden:
* No green card caps for STEM PhD grads
* No caps on spouses & children of permanent residents
* No country caps

2/
Lots to anticipate starting on Jan. 20—not only these legislative proposals that Congress will still need to pass, but also a great many new executive actions to start rebuilding our immigration system in the meantime.

3/3
Read 4 tweets
Doug Rand Profile picture
18 Jan
It's no surprise that Joe Biden plans to begin his administration with a flurry of executive actions—that's what presidents tend to do as leaders of the Executive Branch.

"Executive action" isn't the same as "executive fiat" or "executive overreach."
1/
In the end, "executive overreach" is whatever the courts find to be outside the authorities granted to the Executive Branch by Congress or the Constitution.

But in the beginning, as a policy takes shape, you could say that executive overreach is a state of mind.

2/
Under Obama, executive actions went through layers & layers of scrutiny from gov't lawyers before they were initiated.

It wasn't just fear of losing in court—officials wanted to stay on the lawful side of statute & judicial precedent.

Expect the same from Team Biden.

3/ Image
Read 6 tweets
Doug Rand Profile picture
6 Jan
If Dems control the Senate, then the Congressional Review Act (CRA) suddenly snaps into major relevance as a blunt instrument to eliminate Trump-era rules—at least from the past 6 months or so.

The details are complex, but @CRS4Congress has an FAQ!
1/
 fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R…
The CRA lets Congress take a simple majority vote on eliminating most any rule from the past 60 "days of continuous session"—when you include recess days, that ends up being several months.

Here's the @USGAO database of duly delivered rules:
2/
 gao.gov/legal/other-le…
The CRA is a two-way bazooka: It destroys the existing rule *&* in the future prevents the agency from issuing a "new rule that is substantially the same" or reissuing the rule in "substantially the same form."

What does that mean? It's untested!
3/
Read 6 tweets

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