The complexity and the execution of U.S. immigration policy have divided Americans, challenged the political class, and led to chaos at our borders. What is our goal, and what should it be? How do we efficiently meet that goal? How much do we really know about the way the system works and the benefits we have enjoyed from the contributions of immigrants? Do our immigration laws reflect the realities and needs of our country, or do they express unfounded fears? Where do facts and rhetoric diverge? What are the embedded social, economic, political, and demographic forces? Is our global competitiveness enhanced or harmed by our policies and laws? This class will explore aspects of our immigration conundrum so we can make more informed decisions about immigration’s contribution to our society and think coherently about the upsides and downsides of our approach to the issue. Our subject can yield a wide variety of presentation topics beyond those mentioned above, including the history, present state, and potential future of our county’s immigration system, technical dimensions, ideological forces, economic realities, moral concerns, winners and losers, ideas for reform, etc.
