Noah Smith: New President Should Focus on Legal Immigration as well as Refugees, Asylum Applicants, etc.

Noah Smith for Bloomberg argues that President-elect Biden should pay special attention to legal immigration, which the Trump administration has sought to restrict at every turn:

“Making it easier to get green cards and visas might earn Biden some backlash from those who believe that immigrants primarily compete with native-born Americans for jobs. The truth — that immigration done through legal channels tends to create more jobs than it takes away — will have a hard time penetrating through the misconceptions built up through decades of anti-immigrant rhetoric.

But even if it’s politically difficult. Biden needs to make foreign researchers and students a priority. The U.S. needs those workers . . . . “

KJ