Support for Increased Legal Immigration

USA Today focuses on the problem of an aging population in North Dakota, citing immigration as a solution to the lack of workers there. The article also notes the considerable antagonistic sentiment toward immigrants amongst the locals. This sentiment has prevented factories from locating there for fear that they might attract illegals.

In America, immigration has long served as a way of providing an influx of new workers and creativity. There has been a persistent fear of immigrants over-running the culture and a history of waves of anti-immigration blowback. Today is just another example. The key is finding the best solution. Sound enforcement is part of it (eariler post here), but so is improving the legal immigration system.

In this case, North Dakota is a microsm of Philip Longman's depopulation problem. The best solution we have now to this problem is immigration. But why does it have to be a choice between illegal immigrants or a lack of workers? We should be bringing these factories in and filling these jobs, with legal immigrants. We should be making it easier for legal immigrants to get jobs here, bring their families here, and to become citizens here. In some places, our economy may depend on it.