What we need is a root and branch reform of the current immigration system, itself a liberal/progressive “present” courtesy of Teddy Kennedy. His law enshrined the principle of “family reunification” as the most important gauge of whether or not an applying legal immigrant should receive a visa – and there is a quota system by country, as well.
We need skilled workers, not mom, pop, and a third cousin. America needs scientists, engineers, skilled technicians in most trades, and anyone who wants to invest say, $2.5 million of their own money [not borrowed]. Anyone who graduates from a U.S. university with a masters or PhD in science/engineering/technology should be welcome to stay as a permanent resident alien. We should halt the current policy of sending student and exchange visitor visa holders home at the end of their education in the U.S. An American citizen should always have the right to have a non-citizen spouse and children immigrate to the U.S. Permanent resident aliens, or new immigrants, should be able to bring their spouses and children with them or be guaranteed to right to join within a few years.
As far as quotas go, what do we need? A million a year? 500,000? In any case, there should be no quota by country. If we have more immigrants from India than Ireland, so what? We need the best and the brightest, not the more geographically preferable.
